THYROID DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background:Chronic liver disease frequently disrupts thyroid hormone metabolism, yet systematic evaluation across different etiologies remains limited. To evaluate thyroid dysfunction prevalence and patterns in chronic liver disease patients and assess correlations with disease severity. Methods: This cross-sectional study at Chettinad Hospital enrolled 200 chronic liver disease patients and 50 healthy controls. Patients aged 18-75 years with conrmed chronic liver disease (>6 months) were included. Those with known thyroid disease, pregnancy, or thyroid-affecting medications were excluded. Primary outcomes included thyroid dysfunction prevalence and correlation with Child-Pugh and MELD scores. Results: Mean age was 52.3±12.8 years (68% males). Thyroid dysfunction prevalence was signicantly higher in liver disease patients versus controls (64.5% vs 8.0%, p<0.001). Low T3 syndrome was most common (38.5%), followed by subclinical hypothyroidism (16.0%). Prevalence increased with severity: Child-Pugh Class A (45.2%), B (72.8%), C (89.1%) (p<0.001). T3 levels showed negative correlations with Child-Pugh (r=-0.68, p<0.001) and MELD scores (r=-0.52, p<0.001). Conclusions: Thyroid dysfunction is highly prevalent in chronic liver disease, correlating with disease severity. Routine thyroid screening is recommended for these patients.