Cardiometabolic risk factors among thyroid cancer survivors

Abstract Introduction Thyroid cancer incidence has tripled in the last decades, resulting in a growing population of survivors. In addition to the risks associated with the cancer itself, cardiovascular disease represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in thyroid cancer survivors. Our study aims to assess the frequency of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in thyroid cancer survivors (TCS). Methods A cross-sectional analysis of thyroid cancer patients at Constantine’s University Hospital, Algeria (January 2021 to July 2022), used the WHO STEPS approach to assess risk factors. Cancer data were extracted from medical records. Results A total of 342 patients were included, of whom 88.9% were women. The mean age was 48 years (range 21–85), papillary thyroid cancer accounted for 82% of cases. The mean survival duration was 4 years (6 months to 32 years), and 74.5% of patients responded well to initial treatment. The current smoking rate was 2.6%, 7.5% of patients engaged in vigorous physical activity, and only 7.8% consumed more than 5 fruits or vegetables daily. At the study time, over 80.7% were overweight or obese, and 86% exhibited android obesity. Hypertension (48.8%), diabetes (27.5%), prediabetes (32.5%), dyslipidemia (77.5%), and metabolic syndrome (61.1%) were common. Factors associated with metabolic syndrome included a family history of obesity (OR) of 1.80 (1.08–3.02), age over 40 OR of 2.71 (1.63–4.51), overweight/obesity OR of 5.134 (2.68–9.84), and levothyroxine doses ≥ 125 µg/day OR of 2.480 (1.45–4.23). Conclusion Cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors are prevalent in our population of thyroid cancer survivors.