Abstract

Dr. Jayapal T., Kamalu S. and Rajasekharan C.

ABSTRACT

Objective: The primary objective was to study the proportion of primary hypothyroidism among patients with and without metabolic syndrome. The secondary objective was to study the correlation between thyroid hormones T3, T4, TSH levels and metabolic syndrome parameters in the study group. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care centre in Kerala, South India. One hundred and eighty patients, between 18 to 55 years of age, with metabolic syndrome (NCEP ATP-3 criteria) were included in the study group. One hundred and eighty approximately age and sex matched controls, having no features of metabolic syndrome (0 out of 5 of ATP-3 crite-ria) were compared with the study group. Analysis of data was done using SPSS 11.0 version software. Results: The percentage of hypothyroidism among the control group is 10% while that of cases is 48%, which represents a statistically significant result {p <0.001}. Among the study group, the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in males with metabolic syndrome is 11.7% and in females 26.2%. The prevalence of overt hypothyroidism in males with metabolic syndrome in the study group is 3.9% and in females with metabolic syndrome is 8.7% in the study group.T3 T4 and TSH levels showed varying correlation with components of metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: The prevalence of primary hypothyroidism is higher in patients with metabolic syndrome than it is in the control group. Subclinical hypothyroidism is more prevalent than overt hypothyroidism in patients with metabolic syn-drome compared to the control group. The prevalence of hypothyroidism is higher in females with metabolic syn-drome than it is in the control group. Sub-clinical hypothyroidism is more prevalent than overt hypothyroidism in both groups.