Heart Disease and Thryoid Disorders

[Momto3]

Has anyone noticed a correlation between heart disease and thyroid disorders?  Can yout tell us anything about the co-existence of heart and thyroid problems?  Does one tend to precede the other?  There is a great discussion going on over in the Thyroid forum and I thought it might be helpful to find out what our members know about this topic.

Thanks!!

Connie

[Me967]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I was wondering?  Do you have issues with your heart and also do you take any BP, cholesterol or heart meds?  

Is this CereFolin NAC something that has helped with the muscle aches, the BP, or the heart palps or all of the above..

I know they say the thyroid meds if not taken at the same time will cause you grief.
Your pains sound a lot like mine.  LOL  I have used the "walk like a penguin" saying for years.   In the AM or after sitting.  Though I would be leery of this med myself because I have low iron.

I'm finding out that low iron, and a lot of other vit. and min. issues seems to go along with thyroid issues and will also give you heart related issues.  
Somehow the two (thyroid & heart issues) seem to be greatly connected!  I thought kenkeith above listed a great artical on this above.   I go back to get my thyroid levels checked in one month for the first time since I started thyroid meds and will ask about this to see if it would benifit with all the other drugs though right now.  

Thank you for your input.  Would love to hear back from you as far as if you take any heart related meds.

Just curious how many people have heart/thyroid issues?
  

[shelly45]

I really think that thyriod problem and heart disease do play in role. I had heart surgery when I was young but it had nothing to do with thyriod. Now that I am older 32 years old I started having rapid heart rate and palpatations. They did every test possible and could not find a reason for fast heart rate and palps, but they did put me on meds being that it was going over 200. Then they found out that my thyriod was acting up and had 4 nodules that were growing and in Aug of last year they took out part of my thyriod and was weaned off my heart meds until I was totally off of them. After my thyriod surgery they did another test for my heart and found that I have circuit problems that causes my rapid heart rate-something to do with my sinus node. I opted to wait until I heal from thyriod surgery and until I was tired of it before getting my heart zapped. Just wanted to see if there was anyother options instead of zapping. My mother had a heart attack at the age of 18 due to thyriod and her sister died of a heart attack at the age of 35 years old due to thyriod. So when my doctor asked me if I want to wait and see I told him no,just take that half out due to family history. Now I thought that I was out of the woods with the heart but its acting up again-fast heart rate and palpatations-I thought it went away on its own but didn't,so that why I waited alittle longer. Its not my thyriod because I just had blood work 3 months ago and it was fine. So now its time to get my heart zapped so it can go back to normal. I find out my date in July when my doc will zap my heart to go back into normal rythm.   Shelly45

[Bdidi]

That was supposed to say does not dose, lolol - sorry

[Bdidi]

I am a 37 yr old female - I have hypothryroidism  - Let me first tell you what saved my life  - levothyroxine and CEREFOLIN with NAC. Levo was for my hypo and the sudden onset of heart palpitaions.The prescription vitamin Cerefolin with NAC gave me back my arms and leg function within  the first three days of taking it,   a miracle wonder pill!!! I'm not sure if you can only get this from a neurologist I believe it's what they  prescribe  for altzheimers (sp?) patients. I'm sure a reg doc should be able to prscribe it. I went to the nearo doc because I was at the end of my rope and was about to be bed ridden. I had been  hypo for over 1 year  now and the levo was helping with the palpitations but it wasn't going fully away and the muscle deterioation/pain and hardening was worsening. Neuro said he has seen amazing results from other MS patients and although we don't know if I have this he wants me to try it.  

How I found out I was hypo was after suffering from the flu which landed me in bed for a week and then relapsing just two weeks later with the flu again, I suddenly developed severe pulpitaions in my neck throat area - like my heart was trying to jump out of me. After a day of this I made my first heart appointment and cried all the way there thinking that I am officially old.  Mind you my dad had a small heart attack at 28 years old and his father died of a heart attack at 62 (his third). I wasn't wasting any time.  I have had severe chest pains over my life and have ended up in the ER only for them to chalk it up to angina, or panick attacks.  My heart doctor made me wear a cardio vest, ekg vest, for 24 hours with tabs that stuck to my neck and chest areas. The results came back showing t I had 56 times  where my heart messed up. Doc said, go now and take a thyroid test.  I did and it came back TSH was at 19!  Realise also that my onset of symptoms came where all my main muscles  in all four of my limbs got rock solid and killed if I used them, I was stiff as a board and started to walk like a penguin. It felt as through I had just gotten immunized in those main muscles. If I crossed my legs and my foot was angeling downwards, to uncross them I would have to pick my own leg up and lwer it then go through the process of unbending the foot into a normal flat position. EVERYDAY! for over a year. I had ENOUGH! I need to tell that a year back when I saw that heart doc, he referred me back to my famiily doc to treat me for the hypothyroid.  Now I will tell you that my  hypo eventually dipped lower in scale but lapses still.  Fam doc sent me to get a cat scan due to pain in my left pancreas area throughout this whole ordeal to which I had a near fatal reaction to the iodine injection, face blistered in and out blood pressure went  210  (that was fun) Ended up in 5 ER visits after the initial reaction at the cat scan office with more benadryl put into me than a human should have - funny just had this iodine thing done 6 months back with no reaction at all. So in one year my time line is : flu twice in two weeks, heart palpitations, stabbing pain under my lowest left rib, sudden iodine allergy, hypothyroid diagnoses, muscle malfunction and 30 pounds of weight gain within 6 months.  My palpitaitons have been undercontrol but if I miss my hypo pills at which I take 75 mg of, maybe a week later I can feel them start up again here and there.  You must be regular no matter what.  I highly suggest the CereFolin with NAC vitamin. Insurance doesn't pay for it, a 30 day supply  is $40.

[fluffypurrcat]

Hi, just a brief question. Hi, I have had Hypothyroidism for quite some time now, but I have had a lot of problems with get the correct amount of medicine the last couple of years because my TSH keeps changing. My last TSH went from 12.76 to 11.00 to 9. something to 8 something and the last one I had in May was down to 4.45 which the dr. and the labs consider " normal" but the new standards consider it quite lower, I think the upper limit is about 3;0 which makes me still " hypo."
In your above post, you mention " Clinical Hypothryoidism being defined as a TSH greater than 4.0 mU/l and a decreased free thyroxine level. ( I don't know my free thyroxine level )so this would make me still slightly low, so Clincally Hypothyroid, even though I have been hypo since at least 2000. Also, what is the difference between Clinical Hypo and just Hypo. ? Is it that at this level, you may be not experinecing as many of the symptoms that make it easier to diagnose, or something else?
        Thanks for the input.                                            Fluffypurrcat

[kenkeith]

QUOTE:
"My question:  What causes what.  Does the heart cause thyroid issues or does the thyroid cause heart issues?  In other words:  What comes first?"

According to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a slightly underactive thyroid -- the condition known as subclinical hypothyroidism -- is a major heart disease risk for older women. In the Dutch study, which is being called "The Rotterdam Study," it was found that older women with subclinical hypothyroidism were almost twice as likely as women without this condition to have blockages in the aorta...They were also twice as likely to have had heart attacks.

For some insight to hypothyroidism -- is estimated to affect as many as 10 to 20 percent of women in their lifetimes, and is more common in women than men. The symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, muscle and joint pains, and many other chronic and debilitating symptoms. Low thyroid can also be linked to increased levels of LDL -- "bad" cholesterol -- and heart disease.
According to Dr. Paul Ladenson, a thyroid specialist at Johns Hopkins University, hypothyroidism may be more common than currently thought. What's clear is that serious consideration should be given to instituting hypothyroidism screening for all older women, and that efforts should be made to determine the optimal **TSH ranges at which the risks of complications such as heart disease or hardening of the arteries is reduced.
**Clinical hypothyroidism was defined as a TSH level greater than 4.0 mU/L and a decreased free thyroxine level.

[Me967]

Hello Heart forum.

From what I've read and from what I understand and been told about the thyroid is that it is related to the heart threw vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Calcium, iron, potassium etc. would affect the heart.  The question is I guess what causes what first?

Alot of you already know my story here:
I was tested for years for heart issues.  This year when I had a lot of problems I questioned the other blood work.  I found out it was hypothyroidism.  My heartrate was bouncing around everywhere high(165) and low(50,s), SOB, breathlessness,lightheaded, and I felt like I was going to die at times for weeks.  I also was told that I was low in iron, calcium and sugar, and have always been high in hsCRP levels.  

I started taking the levothyroxine and the proper vitamins and NOW I NO LONGER get the gripping chest pains q 2 minutes and I am no longer aware of my heartbeats like I was.  My chest felt sunken in and my heart felt like it was fighting to fly out of me for weeks.  I still feel tired at times but, I have always pushed myself.  I refuse to get old and will NOT do it gracefully.  LOL.  

My question:  What causes what.  Does the heart cause thyroid issues or does the thyroid cause heart issues?  In other words:  What comes first?

How many people out there with HEART issues have a hypo or hyper THYROID issue?

Phoning Home;  Need input.  LOL

Thank you very much;  Amy

[fluffypurrcat]

Hi Connie, I am so glad you brought this up, I have been asking questions over on the Thyroid Forum and they have been very helpful. I allso have been posting here since the symptoms of a MI on April 2nd, that I am having a hard time getting diagnosed since I was in denial and did not go to the ER. ( BIG MISTAKE.)  I have been diagnosed with Hashimotos, ( Hypothyroidsim ) since Sept. of 2000, but had syptoms long before that.
I also suffer from Bradcardia, heartrate in 40s low 50s, ( also heart symptom unless you are athletic, which definitly is not me.) After surgieies, my heartrate falls in the 30s, and they are allways worried over it.
          If you do a Google search and go to About.com: Heart Disease, There is an article called ; Cardiac Effect of Thyroid Disease.

Here are a few of the things that are said:

Hypothyroidism and the heart;  " thyroid hormone is very improtant for normal
cardiovascular function, so when not enough thyroid hormone is present. neither the heart nor the blood vessels function normally. In hypothyroidism, the heart muscle is WEAKENED IN BOTH ITS CONTRACTION PHASE AND ALSO ITS RELAXATION PHASE. THIS MEANS THAT THE HEART CAN NOT PUMP AS VIGOROUSLY AS IT SHOULD, AND THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD IT EJECTS WITH EACH HEARTBEAT,
IS REDUCED. IN ADDITION BECAUSE THE HEART MUSCLE DOES NOT RELAX NORMALLY IN BETWEEN HEART BEATS, A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CONDITION CALLED DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION MAY RESULT. FURTHERMORE, HYPOTHYROIDISM REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF NITRIC OXIDE IN THE LINING OF
THE BLOOD VESSELS, CAUSING THEM TO STIFFEN.
The article goes on to talk about other symptoms and of course anyone with allready existing thyroid problems has worsening of sympoms, Other symptoms in people with HypoThyroidism include. Shortness of breath, or poor exercise tolerance.Slow heart rate, Bradycardia, usually 10-20 beats slower than normal, but hypothyroidism may worsen the tendancy for premature beats, such as PVC, and even Tachycardias such as Atrial fibrillation. Also what is called Diastolic hypertension. one may think that a lack of thyroid hormone may suffer from low blood pressure, but usually the opposite is true, the arteries are stiffer in hypothyroidism, which causes the diastolic pressure to rise.
Edema, besides heart failure, hypo can produce a type of edema called myxedema, caused by accumalation of abnormal proteins and other molecules in interstital fluid.
Increase in LDL and in C-reactive protein can accelerate any underlying coronary artery disease.

Some studies say Hypothryoidism can increase your Heart disease rate from 2-4 X the normal rate. There are tons of studies out there. This is just one study. I have had high cholesteral since 1984, and am a vegetarian, but have the family risk, dad dying of heart disease. I am med resistant to lowering the chosesteral also. I take both Lipitor 20 mg and just added Zetia. I know there are bound to be more people answering this post, and I am anxious to see what else is said. I am hoping to find some answers to my own
heart issues. Thanks for posting this.                         Fluffypurrcat