What metabolic abnormality is commonly associated with hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is often associated with hyperlipidemia, which is an elevation of lipids in the blood, particularly cholesterol and triglycerides. The thyroid hormones play a crucial role in lipid metabolism. They enhance the hepatic uptake of lipoproteins and promote the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids, thereby regulating cholesterol levels. When thyroid hormone levels are low, as in hypothyroidism, this regulatory mechanism is impaired, leading to increased levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol.

Hyperglycemia, while it can occur in some cases of hypothyroidism due to reduced insulin sensitivity, is not a universally accepted or primary metabolic complication as compared to lipid abnormalities. Hypocalcemia is related to disorders of parathyroid hormone or vitamin D metabolism rather than directly to thyroid hormone levels. Hypokalemia, characterized by low potassium levels, is also not a common finding in hypothyroidism and is typically associated with conditions like diuretic use or certain gastrointestinal losses.

Thus, hyperlipidemia stands out as a prominent and common metabolic alteration connected to hypothyroidism.