COMPLIANCY TO LEVOTHYROXINE TREATMENT AND THE RATE OF DISEASE CONTROL FOR PATIENTS WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM IN DUHOK CITY

ABSTRACT Background: Hypothyroidism is one of the most prevalent endocrine diseases, affecting nearly 200 million people globally, with around 60% of those affected remaining undiagnosed. The incidence of hypothyroidism has been shown to have increased recently, becoming a worldwide health problem. It accounts for 30-40% of the patients seen in endocrinology departments and clinics. Iodine deficiency is the most prevalent cause of hypothyroidism, with data showing that around 2 billion people suffer from insufficient iodine intake.ke Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 309 adults with hypothyroidism who had been receiving Levothyroxine for 8 weeks or more at Azadi General & Teaching Hospital from July 10, 2023, to August 25, 2023. The planned sample size was chosen to facilitate accurate estimates of the rate of control and adherence to treatment. No formal study visits were conducted, and patients were approached for participation during their routine clinic visits. Results: In our study of 309 hypothyroidism patients treated with levothyroxine for 8 weeks to 25 years, we found that 54.37% achieved optimal disease control, 37.22% did not achieve control, and 8.41% were overcorrected. Patients with full adherence to levothyroxine had significantly better TSH control compared to those with poor adherence (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this study, we observed poor treatment compliance rates, with only around half of the patients achieving disease control. Additionally, a significant proportion of patients were found to be overweight or obese.