Free triiodothyronine (T3) is negatively associated with fasting ghrelin serum levels in a population sample of euthyroid subjects

Purpose Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide hormone secreted in times of stress and hunger. It is deeply involved in the regulation of metabolism and energy homeostasis, promoting energy intake and inhibiting energy expenditure on a metabolic level. In this regard, it has in many ways antagonistic effect on the thyroid hormones, which increase metabolism and thus energy expenditure. While there is reasonable evidence of a negative association between ghrelin and hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT-) axis from studies in patients with thyroid dysfunction and small intervention studies, large-scale studies in healthy subjects are lacking. Therefore, we studied the relationship between total ghrelin serum levels and serum levels of the thyroid hormones in a large sample of euthyroid subjects. Methods Total ghrelin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4) and free triiodothyronine (fT3) were determined after an overnight fast in 1666 subjects participating in a population-based cross-sectional study (‘LIFE’) including 10,000 adults. 1012 subjects were included in this analysis. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results FT3 was negatively associated with serum ghrelin; total sample: β = − 0.0001, p < 0.001; men: β = − 0.0002, p = 0.013; women: β = − 0.0001, p = 0.010, adjusted for age, BMI, alcohol consumption, serum levels of TSH and fT4 and smoking status. No associations were found between ghrelin serum levels and serum levels of fT4 or TSH. Conclusion This is to date the largest study investigating the relationship between total serum ghrelin and thyroid hormones. The results point to a complex interaction and should initiate further research.