Context: Although the skeleton is a well-known thyroid hormone target organ, very little data are available on the association of thyroid function with bone outcomes during childhood.
Objective: To study the association of thyroid function with bone mass during childhood.
Design, setting, and participants: Population-based prospective cohort including 4204 children with TSH and free T4 (FT4) measured at the age of 6 years.
Main outcome measures: Bone density was assessed by a total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan at the median age of 6 years (95% range, 5.6 to 7.9) and at the age of 10 years (95% range, 9.0 to 10.9) in 4204 and 3404 participants, respectively.
Results: There was an inverse association of TSH with bone mineral density (BMD) at the age of 6 (β -0.028 ± 0.011, P = 0.009) and with follow-up measurements at the age of 10 (β -0.027 ± 0.011, P = 0.014), but not with bone mineral content (BMC) at the age of 6 (β -0.028 ± 0.015, P = 0.06) or for follow-up measurements of BMC at the age of 10 (β -0.011 ± 0.015, P = 0.47). There was an inverse association of FT4 with BMD (β -0.016 ± 0.006, P = 0.014) and BMC (β -0.023 ± 0.009, P = 0.009) cross-sectionally, and also at the age of 10 years (BMD: β -0.018 ± 0.007, P = 0.007; BMC: β -0.021 ± 0.009, P = 0.020).
Conclusion: A higher FT4 concentration is associated with lower bone mass at the age of 6 and at the age of 10 years. These data provide insights into the effects of thyroid function on bone physiology during childhood.