title: Thyroid dysfunction in an adult female population: A population-based study of Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (LAVOS) - Puerto Rico site.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of hypothyroidism in an adult female population in Puerto Rico and to determine the relationship between hypothyroidism, bone mineral density and vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 400 subjects' database of the Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (LAVOS), Puerto Rico site was reviewed. Patient's medical history, anthropometric data, current medications, laboratories, and DXA results was extracted. Subjects with thyroid dysfunction were identified based on their previous medical history and levels of TSH. Bone Mineral Density was classified using the World Health Organization criteria. Crude prevalence of thyroid dysfunction were estimated with a confidence of 95% and weighted by the population distribution by age, according to the distribution by age group in the 2000 census. Bone mineral densities and prevalence of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures were compared among the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The weighted prevalence of hyperthyroidism in this population was 0.0043% (95% CI: -0.0021%, 0.0107%). The weighted prevalence of hypothyroidism was 24.2% (95% CI: 19.9%, 28.4%). Increased prevalence of hypothyroidism was found in participants 70 years or older. The mean BMD at spine, hip and femoral neck was similar among the groups. No difference in the proportion of participants with vertebral and non-vertebral fractures was found among the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study found a high prevalence of hypothyroidism among adult postmenopausal females in Puerto Rico. No association between hypothyroidism and decreased bone mineral densities, vertebral or non-vertebral fractures was found in this population.
authors.affiliation: University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Division, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Loida A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: González-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Marcos E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Felici-Giovanini
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haddock
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density; D015897:Comorbidity; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013972:Thyrotropin