All-cause and CV mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with 'lower' T3 levels than in the 'higher' T3 group (113.4 vs 18.2 events per 1000 patient-years, P<0.001, and 49.8 vs 9.1 events per 1000 patient-years, P=0.001, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier analysis also showed significantly worse cumulative survival rates in the 'lower' T3 group (P<0.001). In the Cox regression analysis, low T3 was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality even after adjusting for traditional risk factors (hazard ratio=3.76, P=0.021).