The Diabetic-Thyroid Link: A Cross-Sectional Study of Thyroid Dysfunction Prevalence in a Diabetic Population

TL;DR

This study found that thyroid dysfunction is common in diabetic patients, especially women and those on insulin, suggesting routine thyroid screening for diabetics.

Contribution

The study identifies a high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in diabetic patients and highlights risk factors like female gender and insulin therapy.

Findings

Thyroid dysfunction was present in 30.35% of diabetic patients.

Subclinical hypothyroidism was the most common thyroid abnormality.

Female gender and insulin therapy were significantly associated with thyroid dysfunction.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of thyroid dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and analyze its association with demographic and clinical factors.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 280 diabetic patients without pre-existing thyroid disease at a tertiary care hospital. Participants underwent clinical evaluation and biochemical assessment of fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, and thyroid function tests (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT3), free triiodothyronine (FT4)) via chemiluminescent immunoassays. Thyroid dysfunction was classified based on standard definitions.

Results: The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 30.35%. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) was the most common abnormality (13.22%), followed by overt hypothyroidism (8.21%). A statistically significant association was found between thyroid dysfunction and female gender (p = 0.0091) and insulin therapy (p<0.0001). No significant correlation was observed with age, duration of DM, family history of DM, or body mass index.

Conclusions: Thyroid dysfunction is highly prevalent in diabetic patients, with SCH being predominant. Female patients and those on insulin therapy are at higher risk. Routine screening for thyroid disorders is recommended in all patients with DM.

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