A Study of Prevalence of Hypothyroidism in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus (DM) and Thyroid dysfunction (TD) are the two most common endocrine disorders in clinical practice. Unrecognised TD may adversely affect the metabolic control and add more risk to an already predisposed scenario for cardiovascular diseases.The aims and objectives of this study is to estimate the prevalence of hypothyroidism in diabetics and to establish the correlation between the thyroid disorder and diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODSThis was a descriptive study. One hundred and fifty patients either attending OPD or admitted in Department of Medicine, SGMH, Rewa were assessed during Jul 2014 -Sept 2015. The inclusion criteria are known cases of DM. All patients underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation in which blood pressure, waist-hip ratio, BMI, duration of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, postprandial plasma glucose, HbA1c, thyroid profile and lipid profile were investigated. RESULTSOut of 150 diabetes mellitus patients for the study of which 75 are males and 75 are females, the prevalence of TD in all diabetic patients was 32% (48 pts.) and 68% (102 pts.) were euthyroid. Among patients with TD 16% have subclinical hypothyroidism, 10.67% have clinical hypothyroidism, 3.33% have subclinical hyperthyroidism and 2% have clinical hyperthyroidism. Thyroid dysfunction was more common among females. Elderly population had higher incidence of thyroid dysfunction. Increased duration of diabetes was associated with increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction. Hypothyroid patients had significantly higher BMI (26.78 v/s 24.17) and mean waist hip ratio as compared to euthyroid diabetics. Hyperthyroid patients had poor glycaemic control and hypothyroid patients had more chances of hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONWe conclude that screening for thyroid disease among diabetic patients should be routinely performed considering the prevalence of new cases diagnosed and the possible aggravation of the classical risk factors such as hypertension and dyslipidaemia arising from an undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction. Furthermore, it seems that unidentified thyroid dysfunction could negatively impact diabetes and its complications. Therefore, diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism in patients with diabetes may prove beneficial.

The Impact of Hypothyroidism on Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications: A Comprehensive Review

“…Although T2DM is typically diagnosed in older adults, it is becoming more common in children, adolescents, and younger adults due to rising obesity, inactivity, and poor diet [4]. An increased risk of hypothyroidism in T2DM is attributed to female sex [9], older age, obesity, and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO Ab positive) [11][12][13].…”