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Blood Micronutrient and Thyroid Hormone Concentrations in the Oldest-Old

Department of Internal Medicine, Cardioangiology, and Hepatology (P.F., F.M., B.N., G.C.), University Hospital S. Orsola-Malpighi, 40138 Bologna, Italy; Laboratory of Radioimmunology (L.P.), Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, 40136 Bologna, Italy; Laboratory for Biocompatibility Research on Implant Materials (L.S.), Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, 40136 Bologna, Italy; and Division of Geriatric Medicine (D.C.), University Hospital S. Orsola-Malpighi, 40138 Bologna, Italy

Address correspondence and requests for reprints to: Prof. Giovanni Ravaglia, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardioangiology, and Hepatology, University Hospital S. Orsola-Malpighi, Via Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: ravaglia{at}almadns.unibo.it

Several micronutrients are involved in thyroid hormone metabolism, but it is unclear whether their marginal deficits may contribute to the alterations in thyroid function observed in extreme aging. The relationships among blood concentrations of thyroid hormones and selenium, zinc, retinol, and -tocopherol were studied in 44 healthy Northern Italian oldest-old subjects (age range, 90–107 yr), selected by the criteria of the SENIEUR protocol. Control groups included 44 healthy adult (age range, 20–65 yr) and 44 SENIEUR elderly (age range, 65–89 yr) subjects. Oldest-old subjects had higher TSH (P < 0.01) and lower free T₃ (FT₃)/freeT₄ (FT₄) ratio, zinc, and selenium serum values (P < 0.001) than adult and elderly control subjects. No significant difference was found for plasma retinol and -tocopherol values. The associations between micronutrients and thyroid hormones were evaluated by multivariate analysis. In oldest-old subjects, plasma retinol was negatively associated with FT₄ (P = 0.019) and TSH serum levels (P = 0.040), whereas serum zinc was positively associated with serum FT₃ (P = 0.010) and FT₃/FT₄ ratio (P = 0.011). In younger subjects, no significant association was found among thyroid variables and micronutrients. In conclusion, blood levels of specific micronutrients are associated with serum iodothyronine levels in extreme aging.

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