Prevalence of Thyroid Disorders In Type 2 Diabetic Patients - A One Year Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Diabetes is one of the commonest health problem and has become a major health challenge worldwide. Evidence from literature suggests that the intricate bond between Thyroid disorder and diabetes mellitus deceptively contributes to micro and macro-vascular complications. This study is being undertaken to conclusively establish in our population an association between prevalence of thyroid disorders in Type 2 diabetic patients. METHODOLOGY The present one year cross-sectional study was done on 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from January 2015 to December 2015 in the Department of General Medicine at KLES Dr Prabhakar kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belagavi. Patients were subjected to clinical examination, laboratory workup like Thyroid function test, fasting and post prandial blood sugar level, glycosylated haemoglobin, creatinine, urea and presence of Thyroid disorder in these patients was assessed based on the test results. RESULTS In the present study the mean age of the study group was 60.03 years. Males (55%) out numbered females in the study and male to female ratio was 3:2. The duration of diabetes in 51% of the patients was between 11 to 20 years.The prevalence of Thyroid disorder in our study was 35% of which Subclinical hypothyroidism was 16%, followed by subclinical hyperthyroidism in 10%, primary hyperthyroidism in 6% and primary hypothyroidism in 3% of the total diabetics. Subclinical hypothyroidism was the most prevalent (16%) among the thyroid disorders in the diabetic patients in our study. Also non proliferative diabetic retinopathy was associated with subclinical hypothyroidism (p=0.034). An association was also found with duration of diabetes and Thyroid disorder (p=0.0240) CONCLUSION Thyroid dysfunction is widely prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes in our study, hence it is prudent to screen for or to ask for Thyroid panel in Diabetics which will help in improving the quality of life and reduce the mortality rate