Prevalence of thyroid disorders among patients with diabetes in rural South India.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and thyroid disorders are the most common endocrine disorders in clinical practice. Unrecognized thyroid disorders have an adverse effect on metabolic functions. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the prevalence of thyroid disorders in individuals with diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

A prospective observational study, conducted at Sree Sidhi Vinayaka Diabetic Center, between September 2013 to December 2019. A total of 5037 patients attended the outpatient clinic, among which 2470 met the inclusion criteria. All patients underwent a clinical and laboratory evaluation.

RESULTS

A total of 2321 individuals with diabetes had consented to be the part of the study, 102 had Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and 2219 Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The mean age was 48.4 ± 10.7, among which 1128 females and 1193 are males. 79.9% (1853) individuals with diabetes were euthyroid; 13.8% (321) subclinical hypothyroidism; 3.4% (79) clinical hypothyroidism, and 2.9% (68) were having hyperthyroidism. 14.1% of T2DM had subclinical hypothyroidism, in contrast, clinical hypothyroidism was common in T1DM (6.9%).

CONCLUSION

A high index of suspicion for thyroid dysfunction in diabetics should be considered to screen for thyroid function in them for early detection and effective management of both the conditions.