AIM: To determine the association between hypothyroidism ( clinical and subclinical thyroid dysfunction) and cardiovascular complications (heart failure, arrhythmias, post infarction angina and death) in patients with acute coronary events that were admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of a fourth level health institution in Bogota, Colombia. METHODOLOGY: Prospective cohort study in which one study group included 129 patients with hypothyroidism and another group included 258 patients without hypothyroidism that were admitted to the CCU of a fourth level health institution with diagnosis of acute coronary events: Unstable Angina, IAM SEST (myocardial infarction without ST elevation) o IAM CEST (myocardial infarction with ST elevation) during January 2009 to March 2010. Clinical data were used to evaluate associations with Chi Square and Relative Risk. Adjustments were made by multivariate analyses. RESULTS: 387 patients were obtained, 258 without hypothyroidism and 129 patients with hypothyroidism (clinical and subclinical). There were 67% of men with hypothyroidism and 66.3% without hypothyroidism. Heart failure developed in 13% of the patients with hypothyroidism. In both, men and women, clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism was significantly associated with higher rates of heart failure (RR=2.2 IC 95%:1.1-4.3) and atrial fibrillation (RR=4 IC 95%:1.22–13.0). There were not differences in the other outcomes. The hypothyroidism is an independent risk factor to produce heart failure and atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism increased risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation in patients with acute coronary events.
