The aim of the work was to investigate the correlation between serum TSH (thyrotropin) levels within normal range and serum lipids. A total of 1962 subjects with normal thyroid function were enrolled. The subjects were divided into four groups according to the quartiles of serum normal TSH levels, [Q (0.27-1.68) mIU/l, Q (1.69-2.35) mIU/l, Q (2.36-3.07) mIU/l, and Q (3.08-4.20) mIU/l]. The effect of serum normal TSH levels on serum lipid profiles of different age or gender was analyzed. The total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of the Q group and TG levels of the Q group were higher than those of the Q group in youth (p <0.05). The TC levels of the Q group were higher than those of the Q group in middle age (p <0.05). The LDL-C levels of middle age or elderly were higher than those of youth at the same TSH levels (p <0.05), while the TC levels of middle age were higher than those of youth in Q, Q, or Q group (p <0.05), and the TC and HDL-C levels of elderly were higher than those of youth in the Q group (p <0.05). The TG levels of the Q group were higher than those of Q group in males (p <0.05). The LDL-C levels of the Q group were higher than those of the Q group in females (p <0.05). In conclusion, the normal serum TSH levels were found to be closely related to serum lipid profiles, and with increasing TSH levels, serum lipids levels increased gradually.
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