Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThyroid OverviewHypothyroidismHyperthyroidismRisk FactorsDiagnosisHeart Health Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Thyroid Overview
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Risk Factors
Diagnosis
Heart Health Tips
One of the most important reasons to diagnose and treatthyroid diseaseis to prevent the cardiac conditions that can result from it.
Thyroid disease can worsen cardiac symptoms in people with heart disease and accelerate underlying cardiac problems. It can even produce new heart problems in people with otherwise healthy hearts.
This article explains what the thyroid gland does and how it affects the heart. It also covers the difference in symptoms and treatment between an underactive and an overactive thyroid.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
What Is the Thyroid Gland?
By producing just the right amount of thyroid hormone, thethyroid glandhelps regulate your body’s metabolism—most importantly, how much oxygen and energy your body uses. Thyroid hormones affect nearly every organ in the body, from the way your heart beats to your cholesterol levels.
Too little thyroid hormone (a condition known ashypothyroidism) or too much thyroid hormone (calledhyperthyroidism) can affect the heart in different ways:
What Is Thyroid Disease?
How Does Hypothyroidism Affect the Heart?
When there is not enough thyroid hormone, neither the heart nor the blood vessels can function normally. The reduced level of thyroid hormone causes the heart muscle to pump less vigorously and eventually become weak.
In addition, the heart muscle cannot fully relax after each heartbeat. This failure to relax can producediastolic dysfunction, or stiffening of the heart’s pumping chambers—a condition that can lead toheart failure.
Hypothyroidism also causes blood vessels to stiffen, which can lead tohigh blood pressure (hypertension).
If you have anysymptoms of hypothyroidismthat your healthcare provider can’t explain, such as fatigue or weight gain, ask them to measure your thyroid hormone levels. This is particularly important if you already have heart disease.
Cardiac Symptoms
Cardiac symptoms can occur in anybody with hypothyroidism, but they are especially likely in people who already have underlying heart disease.
Common cardiac problems associated with hypothyroidism include:
The Link Between Thyroid Disease and Cholesterol
Hypothyroidism Treatments
Physicians often prescribe Synthroid (levothyroxine) totreat an underactive thyroid.
Taken once a day, this replacement hormone mimics thyroxine, the hormone that the thyroid gland produces naturally.
Hypothyroidism is a lifelong condition. If you are prescribed thyroid medication, expect to stay on it for life.
What’s the Connection Between Hypothyroidism and Anxiety?Anxiety and hypothyroidism commonly occur together in the same person. The two conditions can also mimic one another to the extent that a person with hypothyroidism may even be misdiagnosed with anxiety. These conditions also share numerous symptoms, including heart palpitations, poor concentration, irritability, and increased hair shedding.
What’s the Connection Between Hypothyroidism and Anxiety?
Anxiety and hypothyroidism commonly occur together in the same person. The two conditions can also mimic one another to the extent that a person with hypothyroidism may even be misdiagnosed with anxiety. These conditions also share numerous symptoms, including heart palpitations, poor concentration, irritability, and increased hair shedding.
Hypothyroidism and Anxiety: What’s the Connection?
How Does Hyperthyroidism Affect the Heart?
When there is too much thyroid hormone, the heart muscle must work harder. For a person with heart disease, having an overactive thyroid can take a big physical toll.
Hyperthyroidism may be present without producing the classic textbook symptoms. So if you have cardiac symptoms that cannot otherwise be readily explained, have your thyroid function measured. The sooner, the better.
Cardiac symptoms can occur in anybody with hyperthyroidism but can be particularly dangerous in people with underlying heart disease.
Common symptoms include:
Hyperthyroidism can cause increased heart rate at rest.
Hyperthyroidism Treatments
Physicians often prescribe Tapazole (methimazole) or Propylthiouracil (PTU) to treat hyperthyroidism. It’s important to remember that these treatments are not a cure.
If a tablet treatment is unsuccessful, surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland is an alternative. So is a radioactive iodine treatment to slow the production of thyroid hormones.
What to Know About Hyperthyroidism Treatment
What’s the Connection Between Hyperthyroidism and Anxiety?Anxiety symptoms are common among people with hyperthyroidism. The two conditions often co-occur or mimic one another. Weight loss, heart palpitations, tremors, and anxiety are classic hyperthyroidism symptoms that occasionally lead to a misdiagnosis of anxiety.
What’s the Connection Between Hyperthyroidism and Anxiety?
Anxiety symptoms are common among people with hyperthyroidism. The two conditions often co-occur or mimic one another. Weight loss, heart palpitations, tremors, and anxiety are classic hyperthyroidism symptoms that occasionally lead to a misdiagnosis of anxiety.
Who Is at Risk for Thyroid Problems?
You are more likely to get thyroid disease if you:
To help reduce your risk of thyroid disease:
15 Ways to Keep Your Thyroid Healthy
How Are Heart Problems Diagnosed?
If you are having any symptoms that could suggest a heart problem, your healthcare provider may wish to run tests. The diagnostic process may involve a combination of blood tests, heart monitoring, and imaging tests.
Types of tests your provider may order include:
Cardiac imaging:Advanced imaging techniques, such as a coronary CT (computed tomography) scan, or cardiac MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), can provide detailed clues about how strong the heart pumps, how well the heart valve performs, whether there are blockages in the heart, and much more.
Angiogram:This imaging technique may involve an X-ray, MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram), or CTA (computed tomography angiography). Angiogram differs from other imaging techniques in that it also involves the injection of contrast dye into the blood to provide a detailed look at blood vessels and heart valves.
Blood tests:In certain instances, a damaged heart muscle will trigger the release of telltale substances into your blood. Measuring the level of these substances via blood testing can help your provider understand how damaged your heart is. Other blood tests can be done to measure levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which may be indicative of heart disease.
Echocardiogram:An echocardiogram is a type of cardiac ultrasound, in which a provider passes a small probe over the heart to measure sound waves that create echoes. These echoes can tell your provider how well your heart muscles and valves are working.
Holter monitor:You can think of a Holter monitor as a portable, wearable electrocardiogram. With this test, you will wear the monitor for 24 hours or longer in order to measure your heart’s electrical activity while you are away from your provider’s office. The Holter monitor will record the strength and timing of your heart’s pulses, the heart’s rhythm, and more.
How to Keep the Heart Healthy
To keep your heart healthy:
Even if you have no history of heart problems and live a heart-healthy lifestyle, it’s always a good idea to get a yearly physical checkup with your healthcare provider, as well as routine health screenings according to your age group.
The Importance of Health Screenings As You Age
Summary
The thyroid gland, a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the back of your throat, performs many vital functions. Thyroid disease—resulting in too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) or too much (hyperthyroidism)—can, therefore, have several consequences.
Heart issues top the list. Among them are spikes in blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, slow or fast heart rate, heart failure, and more.
Managing thyroid disease can have far more benefit than just reducing symptoms like fatigue. That includes reducing your risk of some of these concerns. Be sure to get tested for thyroid disease if you exhibit any signs, or if you are experiencing new or worsening cardiac health problems.
24 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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