Thyroid response to cold activation of brown adipose tissue in Greenlanders and Danes
Authors' conclusion
Serial measurements of thyroid hormones and thyroglobulin with gold-standard detection of BAT activity documented distinct thyroid responses to cooling. The findings suggested a physiological preparedness to acute cold exposure in individuals with cold adaptation, irrespective of origin.
Study context
- Population
- Greenlanders and Danes undergoing cooling and thermal comfort sessionscross-over
- Participants
- 21 participants
- Comparison
- Greenlanders vs Danes; cooling vs thermal comfort
- Greenlandersn = 11
- Danesn = 10reference
- Outcome
- Thyroid hormone response to cooling
Methodological detailscross-over, cooling vs thermal comfort sessions, [18F]FDG PET/CT
- Cross-over
- Cooling vs thermal comfort sessions
- [18F]FDG PET/CT
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- TSH increase with cooling, Danes (P < .001)
- 0.24 mIU/L
- TSH increase with cooling, Greenlanders (P = .009)
- 0.15 mIU/L
- Total triiodothyronine (TT3) increase with cooling, Danes (Pboth < .001)
- 0.15 nmol/L
- TT3 increase with cooling, Greenlanders (Pboth < .001)
- 0.09 nmol/L
- Greenlanders had lower TSH and higher TT3 vs Danes; TT3 difference at baseline (P = .009)
- 0.27 nmol/L
- Attenuated TT3 response to cooling in Greenlanders vs Danes (P = .009)
- −0.07 nmol/L
- T3/T4 ratio elevated during cold vs thermoneutral, Danes
- P < .001
- T3/T4 ratio elevated during cold vs thermoneutral, Greenlanders
- P = .022
- Greenlanders consistently higher T3/T4 ratios vs Danes: baseline
- P = .001
- Greenlanders consistently higher T3/T4 ratios vs Danes: after cooling
- P = .023
- Thyroglobulin (Tg) higher with low- vs high-BAT volume (P = .008)
- 7.27 µg/L
Original publication
Thyroid response to cold activation of brown adipose tissue in Greenlanders and Danes. Eur J Endocrinol. Published 10 February 2026. doi:10.
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