title: Thyroid disease in insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases frequently coexist. In order to evaluate how thyroid disorders interfere with glycemic control, we analysed insulin-treated type 2 diabetes patients with thyroid disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes patients (n = 1.957) were retrospectively investigated. We focused on type 2 diabetes patients who had been admitted for insulin-treatment and diagnosed thyroid diseases (n = 328). Patients were divided into three groups according to thyroid disease manifestation in relation to diabetes onset: prior to (group 1), same year (group 2) and thyroid disease following diabetes (group 3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of all diabetes patients 27.3% had a thyroid disorder with more women (62.2%) being affected (p < 0.001). Thyroid disease was predominantly diagnosed after diabetes onset. Patients with type 2 diabetes and prior appearance of thyroid disease required insulin therapy significantly earlier (median insulin-free period: 2.5 yrs; Q1 = 0.0, Q3 = 8.25) compared to patients who had thyroid dysfunction after diabetes onset (median insulin-free period: 8.0 yrs; Q1 = 3.0, Q3 = 12.0; p < 0.001). Age at diabetes onset correlated with insulin-free period (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thyroid disease may be a marker of a distinct metabolic trait in type 2 diabetes potentially requiring earlier insulin treatment.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Witting
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bergis
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sadet
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Goethe-University Hospital, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. badenhoop@em.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Badenhoop