Table 2.
Temperatures and Cold Sensation
| Location | Hypothyroid warm | Hypothyroid cold | Euthyroid warm | Euthyroid cold | p for hypo- vs. euthyroid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm | Cold | |||||
| Skin temperature (in °C) | ||||||
| Supraclavicular | 35.14 ± 0.44 | 35.2 ± 0.48 | 35.36 ± 0.70 | 35.40 ± 0.65 | 0.081 | 0.064 |
| Parasternal | 34.68 ± 0.62 | 34.22 ± 0.92** | 34.57 ± 1.11 | 34.43 ± 0.62 | 0.86 | 0.24 |
| Thigh | 32.62 ± 0.62 | 31.11 ± 0.92*** | 32.35 ± 1.51 | 31.11 ± 1.01*** | 0.34 | 0.97 |
| Arm | 34.19 ± 1.33 | 29.1 ± 1.05*** | 34.07 ± 1.51 | 29.54 ± 2.03*** | 0.99 | 0.40 |
| Finger | 34.22 ± 2.01 | 26.09 ± 2.08*** | 34.5 ± 2.05 | 26.26 ± 2.33*** | 0.55 | 0.98 |
| Leg | 32.45 ± 1.47 | 30.39 ± 0.68*** | 32.57 ± 1.25 | 30.49 ± 1.38*** | 0.72 | 0.90 |
| Foot | 31.72 ± 2.03 | 28.64 ± 1.35*** | 32.55 ± 2.25 | 29.39 ± 1.62*** | 0.23 | 0.02 |
| Core temperature (in °C) | ||||||
| 36.79 ± 0.28 | 36.91 ± 0.33 | 36.73 ± 0.26 | 36.72 ± 0.44 | 0.58 | 0.90 | |
| Cold sensation (VAS) | ||||||
| 4.6 ± 0.8 | 1.5 ± 0.6*** | 5.0 ± 1.1 | 1.5 ± 0.7*** | 0.076 | 0.68 | |
| Water temperature at the end of cooling (in °C) | ||||||
| 16.3 ± 1.3 | 15.8 ± 1.3 | 0.13 | ||||
Data shown are the mean ± standard deviation. Asterisks indicate significant changes of skin temperatures and cold sensation after cooling for all measured locations within the same study visit (**p = 0.01; ***p < 0.001).
VAS cold sensation scores: 7 = “hot,” 4 = “neutral,” 1 = “cold.”
VAS, visual analog scale.