Association between serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and serum lipids in children and adolescents: A population-based study of German youth

Abstract

Context: No studies have examined the association between TSH and lipid profiles of healthy children and adolescents in the general population. Objective: The objective was to investigate the association between TSH and lipid profiles. Design: We used a population-based cross-sectional study design and analyzed our results using multivariable regression models. Setting: The study was conducted in Germany. Participants: We analyzed data from 6622 children (ages 3-10 y) and 6134 adolescents (ages 11-17 y) drawn from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). Intervention: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Blood samples were collected, and serum TSH levels were measured using the electrochemiluminescence method. High and low serum TSH levels were defined according to age-specific reference limits for the assay. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride levels were determined with enzymatic color analyses. Results: We found a significant positive association between TSH and all non-HDL parameters (total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides) in children (ô ô 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-1.27; β = 0.78, 95% CI, 0.44-1.13; and β = 0.90, 95% CI, 0.52-1.27, respectively) and in adolescents (β =0.90, 95% CI, 0.47-1.32; β = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.29-1.05; and β = 0.92, 95% CI, 0.49-1.35, respectively) (P