Table 2.
Thyroid and reproductive endocrine hormone parameters in euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroidism postmenopausal women, before and after MHT
| Variable | Group I (n = 460) | Group II (n = 106) | Group III (n = 21) | F/H | p valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSH (mIU/L) | |||||
| Before MHT | 1.46 (1.08, 1.88) | 3.12 (2.73, 3.64) | 5.14 (4.86, 6.09) | 300.526 | 0.000 |
| After MHT | 1.75 (1.24, 2.21) | 2.74 (2.29, 3.22) | 5.17 (3.09, 6.19) | 68.322 | 0.000 |
| t/Z | 5.050 | 2.559 | 0.847 | ||
| p valueb | 0.000 | 0.010 | 0.397 | ||
| fT3 (pmol/L) | |||||
| Before MHT | 4.38 (3.96, 4.73) | 4.45 (3.96, 4.87) | 4.37 (4.13, 4.79) | 1.276 | 0.528 |
| After MHT | 4.26 (3.91, 4.58) | 4.19 (3.87, 4.66) | 3.96 (3.47, 4.23) | 2.683 | 0.070 |
| t/Z | 1.999 | 1.557 | 2.929 | ||
| p valueb | 0.047 | 0.119 | 0.013 | ||
| fT4 (pmol/L) | |||||
| Before MHT | 13.82 (12.64, 15.04) | 13.22 (12.38, 14.78) | 13.33 (11.69, 14.74) | 5.175 | 0.075 |
| After MHT | 13.36 (12.33, 14.58) | 13.26 (12.32, 14.50) | 12.83 (10.97, 14.13) | 2.749 | 0.253 |
| t/Z | 3.181 | 1.153 | 0.853 | ||
| p valueb | 0.001 | 0.249 | 0.410 | ||
| LH(IU/L) | |||||
| Before MHT | 36.42 (27.98, 46.59) | 35.70 (27.98, 43.43) | 40.27 (28.83, 43.54) | 1.054 | 0.590 |
| After MHT | 31.75 (24.11, 42.51) | 31.38 (22.57, 41.14) | 29.71 (19.06, 38.40) | 0.941 | 0.625 |
| t/Z | 6.157 | 2.252 | 1.614 | ||
| p valueb | 0.000 | 0.024 | 0.123 | ||
| FSH(IU/L) | |||||
| Before MHT | 77.30 (63.89, 93.33) | 75.08 (64.00, 90.96) | 72.90 (54.75, 85.98) | 2.341 | 0.310 |
| After MHT | 52.11 (39.51, 67.48) | 51.61 (36.89, 67.47) | 42.59 (34.16, 62.75) | 2.002 | 0.368 |
| t/Z | 14.473 | 6.070 | 4.842 | ||
| p valueb | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | ||
| E2 (pmol/L) | |||||
| Before MHT | 18.35 (18.35, 33.97) | 18.40 (18.35, 38.05) | 18.35 (18.35, 18.52) | 7.828 | 0.020c |
| After MHT | 71.41 (18.40, 170.30) | 87.43 (25.51, 212.15) | 79.38 (22.40, 193.30) | 2.677 | 0.262 |
| t/Z | 10.970 | 6.059 | 3.294 | ||
| p valueb | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.001 | ||
Data are expressed as medians (25th percentile, 75th percentiles)
p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant
ap values are for between-group differences by Kruskal–Wallis H test/one way ANOVA
bp values are for within-group differences by Wilcoxon signed-rank test or paired-samples t test
cp < 0.05 and further between-group differences by post hoc test with Bonferroni correction as follows:
I vs. II Z = -26.895, p = 0.311; I vs. III Z = -72.162 p = 0.100; II vs. III Z = -99.057, p = 0.019
Abbreviation: MHT menopause hormone therapy, TSH thyroid stimulating hormone, fT3 free tri-iodothyronine, fT4 free thyroxine, LH luteinizing hormone, FSH follicle-stimulating hormone, E2, estradiol