Thyrotoxicosis as a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Lewis J. Rubin, David B. Badesch
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Letters7 February 2006Thyrotoxicosis as a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Arterial HypertensionLewis J. Rubin, MD and David B. Badesch, MDLewis J. Rubin, MDForm the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262.Search for more papers by this author and David B. Badesch, MDForm the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-144-3-200602070-00023 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We agree with Drs. Ma and Chow that there is some justification for screening patients with PAH for thyroid dysfunction. We were among the first to make the observation that thyroid abnormalities might occur with increased frequency in patients with PAH (1). In that report, we speculated that there might be a common underlying autoimmune disorder. The concept that antithyroid antibodies could play a role in the pathogenesis of PAH is indeed quite intriguing, and there have been several subsequent reports of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism occurring in patients with pulmonary hypertension (2-5), although a causal relationship has not ...References1. Badesch DB, Wynne KM, Bonvallet S, Voelkel NF, Ridgway C, Groves BM. Hypothyroidism and primary pulmonary hypertension: an autoimmune pathogenetic link? Ann Intern Med. 1993;119:44-6. [PMID: 8498763] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Arroliga AC, Dweik RA, Rafanan AL. Primary pulmonary hypertension and thyroid disease [Letter]. Chest. 2000;118:1224-5. [PMID: 11035704] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Curnock AL, Dweik RA, Higgins BH, Saadi HF, Arroliga AC. High prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. Am J Med Sci. 1999;318:289-92. [PMID: 10555089] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Ferris A, Jacobs T, Widlitz A, Barst RJ, Morse JH. Pulmonary arterial hypertension and thyroid disease [Letter]. Chest. 2001;119:1980-1. [PMID: 11399743] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Kashyap AS, Kashyap S. Thyroid disease and primary pulmonary hypertension [Letter]. JAMA. 2001;285:2853-4. [PMID: 11401596] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Lewis J. Rubin, MD; David B. Badesch, MDAffiliations: Form the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHypothyroidism and Primary Pulmonary Hypertension: An Autoimmune Pathogenetic Link? David B. Badesch , Kristine M. Wynne , Scott Bonvallet , Norbert F. Voelkel , Chester Ridgway , and Bertron M. Groves Evaluation and Management of the Patient with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Lewis J. Rubin and David B. Badesch Thyrotoxicosis as a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Ronald C. Ma and Chun Chung Chow Metrics 7 February 2006Volume 144, Issue 3 Page: 222-223 Keywords Antibodies Conflicts of interest Hyperthyroidism Hypothyroidism Medical risk factors Pathogenesis Pathogens Pulmonary hypertension Thyroid Thyroid diseases ePublished: 7 February 2006 Issue Published: 7 February 2006 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...