Subclinical Hypothyroidism and its Associated Disorders

Abstract

Subclinical hypothyroidism is an early, mild form of hypothyroidism, a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. These hormones are required for normal heart, brain, and metabolic functions. Subclinical hypothyroidism is diagnosed with a blood test. Normal reference range for TSH is considered to be 4.5 mIU/L or 5.0 mIU/L slightly elevated TSH levels along with normal range T3 and T4 hormones are considered to be presentation of SCH. Whether to treat these patients with thyroxine is still a question of debate. SCH is associated with various signs and symptoms. It is highly recommended to use thyroxine in SCH pregnant patients as there are convincing reports of danger to mother and fetus. Infertile SCH females have also shown to benefit with thyroxine therapy. SCH has also been linked with effects on cardiovascular disorders, lipid abnormalities, DVT, weight changes, neuropsychiatric disorders and male infertility. The data, however, is not adequate and further large-scale studies are required.