Magnitude of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus – A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the magnitude of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in patients of >35 years of age presenting with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to the tertiary care hospital in rural Central India. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study done in a rural tertiary care hospital conducted for a period of 2 years from October 2016 to September 2018. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled all consecutive T2DM in patients aged ≥35 years in this cross-sectional study in rural hospital in central India. Free T4 and thyrotropin estimation have been done by chemiluminescence and the normal range considered was 0.7–1.8 ng/ml and 0.30–5.5 micron IU/ml respectively. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics using Student's t-test, Chi-square test, and Mann–Whitney test to compare means, proportions, and medians, respectively P < 0.05 will be considered significant. We analyzed the data by STATA software (Version 16, Stata Corporation, Texas, USA). Results: The mean age of the study population (n = 174) was 57.7 ± 10.4 years and 61.5% were male and 51.7% had high body mass index. The magnitude of SCH was 7.5% among study participants with T2DM (9.3% in male and 4.5% in female). The magnitude of SCH was higher in the elderly age group, 9.2% in 61–80 years age group compared to 6.4% in 35–60 years age group. Conclusion: We concluded from this study that SCH is common in T2DM in our study setting. The prevalence of SCH increases with age, especially elderly female.