Association between a Serum Thyroid-stimulating Hormone Concentration within the Normal Range and Indices of Obesity in Japanese Men and Women

Masaru Sakurai; Koshi Nakamura; Katsuyuki Miura; Katsushi Yoshita; Toshinari Takamura; Shin-ya Nagasawa; Yuko Morikawa; Masao Ishizaki; Teruhiko Kido; Yuchi Naruse; Motoko Nakashima; Kazuhiro Nogawa; Yasushi Suwazono; Hideaki Nakagawa

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.53.1387

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Association between a Serum Thyroid-stimulating Hormone Concentration within the Normal Range and Indices of Obesity in Japanese Men and Women

Masaru Sakurai, Koshi Nakamura, Katsuyuki Miura, Katsushi Yoshita, Toshinari Takamura, Shin-ya Nagasawa, Yuko Morikawa, Masao Ishizaki, Teruhiko Kido, Yuchi Naruse, Motoko Nakashima, Kazuhiro Nogawa, Yasushi Suwazono, Hideaki Nakagawa

Author information

Masaru Sakurai
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan
Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA
Koshi Nakamura
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan
Katsuyuki Miura
Department of Health Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan
Katsushi Yoshita
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Japan
Toshinari Takamura
Department of Disease Control and Homeostasis, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan
Shin-ya Nagasawa
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan
Yuko Morikawa
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan
Masao Ishizaki
Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan
Teruhiko Kido
School of Health Sciences, College of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Japan
Yuchi Naruse
Department of Human Science and Fundamental Nursing, Toyama University School of Nursing, Japan
Motoko Nakashima
Department of Community Health Nursing, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan
Kazuhiro Nogawa
Department of Occupation and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Yasushi Suwazono
Department of Occupation and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Hideaki Nakagawa
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan

Keywords: thyroid-stimulating hormone, body weight, obesity, smoking, epidemiology

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2014 Volume 53 Issue 7 Pages 669-674

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.53.1387

Details

Abstract

Objective This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between the serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and indices of obesity in middle-aged Japanese men and women.
Methods The participants were 2,037 employees (1,044 men and 993 women; age, 36-55 yr) of a metal products factory in Japan. Clinical examinations were conducted in 2009. We obtained a medical history and anthropometric measurements (body weight, body mass index [BMI] and waist circumference) and measured the serum TSH concentrations. The anthropometric indices were compared across serum TSH quartiles. The associations were evaluated separately according to the smoking status in men.
Results The mean body weight (kg), BMI (kg/m²) and waist circumference (cm) were 69.2, 23.7 and 83.2 in men and 55.3, 22.3 and 74.3 in women, respectively. Men with a higher TSH concentration had higher body weight and BMI values (p for trend=0.016 and 0.019, respectively), and these significant associations were observed even after adjusting for age, smoking status and other potential confounders. The TSH level was not associated with waist circumference. We found a significant interaction between the TSH level and the smoking status on body weight (p for interaction=0.013) and a significant association between the TSH level and body weight in nonsmokers, but not in current smokers. No significant associations were observed between the TSH level and the anthropometric indices in women.
Conclusion Significant positive associations between the serum TSH concentration, body weight and BMI were detected in men only, and an interaction with the smoking status was observed for this association.

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