The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major health problem globally. There are many studies, which show high prevalence of thyroid disorders in patients with type 2 DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with type 2 DM. METHODS: 90 patients with type 2 DM aged between 40-70 years were studied. Following a detailed history, all patients were evaluated for thyroid dysfunction by testing thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4). The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and its correlation with age, gender, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and duration of DM were studied. RESULTS: Out of 90 patients studied, 16 were found to have thyroid dysfunction. The most common thyroid abnormality was subclinical hypothyroidism followed by hypothyroidism; furthermore, thyroid abnormality was seen mostly in patients aged more than 60 and in those with uncontrolled DM. CONCLUSION: Patients with type 2 DM should be screened for thyroid dysfunction, especially those with poor diabetic control.