Thyrotropin, menopause, and hormone replacement

Thyroid disorders, especially subclinical hypothyroidism, are common in middle-aged women. Our study was aimed at examining possible associations between menopause and serum levels of thyrotropin (TSH). The study group included 170 postmenopausal women (PMW), of whom 30 were already using hormone replacement therapy, and 140 were nonusers. Eight PMW were excluded from analysis because they were either on Eltroxin (n = 6) or Methimazole (n = 2). The 132 nonusers had a mean serum level of TSH of 2.7 ± 2.2 mU/L and 30 current users had a mean serum level of 2.8 ± 2.1 mU/L. TSH >5 mU/L was found in 14 (8.6%) PMW. Age, type of menopause and time lapse since menopause did not affect TSH level. We could not find a significant correlation between TSH levels and any of the following: sedimentation rate, mean corpuscular volume, serum lipids, or body weight. The mean TSH level in 32 premenopausal women (>45 years old) was 2 ± 1 mU/L (p <.01 vs. the PMW). Despite this difference, our data seem to suggest that menopause, as well as hormone replacement therapy, do not affect TSH economy in PMW.