Abstract: Objective To analyze the effect of thyroid hormones on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in the elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 108 elderly patients with chronic heart failure admitted to our hospital from June 2017 to June 2021. According to the level of IMT, the patients were divided into the thickening group (IMT≥1.0 mm, n=46) and the non-thickening group (IMT<1.0 mm, n=62). The general data and clinical data of the two groups were compared, and the influencing factors of IMT in the elderly patients with chronic heart failure were analyzed by Logistic regression. At the same time, the patients were divided into low group (TSH<1.00 mIU/L, n=26), medium group (1.00 mIU/L≤TSH≤2.74 mIU/L, n=55) and high group (TSH > 2.74 mIU/L, n=27) according to the quartile level of TSH. The level of IMT and carotid artery plaque number of the patients with different TSH levels were compared. Results Compared with the non-thickening group, the patients in the thickening group were older, and had longer course of disease, lower level of free thyroxine acid, and higher levels of TSH, C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol (TC) and apolipoprotein A1, with statistical significance (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that aged ≥70 years old, TSH≥3 mIU/L, CRP≥3.5 mmol/L and TC≥4.5 mmol/L were the independent risk factors of IMT thickening in the elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Compared with the high group, the level of IMT in the low group and the middle group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in carotid artery plaque number among the patients with different TSH levels (P>0.05). Conclusions The development of IMT might be correlated with age, TSH, CRP and TC in the elderly patients with chronic heart failure.

Key words: chronic heart failure, aged, thyroid hormones, carotid artery intima-media thickness