The rate of primary hypothyroidism in diabetic patients is greater than in the non-diabetic population. An observational study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to identify the rate of diabetic patients treated for hypothyroidism and compare them with a group without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).


METHODS
We reviewed the computerized clinical records of 5161 patients. We identified diabetic patients treated with l-thyroxine. We compared the prevalence of PH with those patients under treatment with levothyroxine without T2DM. We excluded patients with a thyroid neoplasia, thyroid surgery, panhypopituitarism, or surgical complications of multinodular goiter or a thyroid nodule. Subclinical hypothyroidism was not considered.


RESULTS
We included 1848 adult patients with T2DM in the study group, 58% women and 42% men. For the control group, we included 3313 non-diabetic patients, 55% women and 45% men. The mean age in the study group was 52±7 years, and 47±4 years in the control group (p<.001). The rate of hypothyroidism in the study group was 5.7%, and in the control group 1.8% (odds ratio of 3.45; 95% confidence interval 2.51-4.79) (p<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
A strong association between T2DM and hypothyroidism was found. We recommend a thyroid profile in all patients with T2DM, similar to the recommendation in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Subdirección de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina U.A.N.L., Monterrey, NL, Mexico. hectoreloytamez@aol.com
Hector-Eloy
HE
Tamez-Pérez
Esteban
E
Martínez
Dania L
DL
Quintanilla-Flores
Alejandra L
AL
Tamez-Peña
Hugo
H
Gutiérrez-Hermosillo
Enrique
E
Díaz de León-González
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013974:Thyroxine