Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in metabolic syndrome

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a pathologic state characterized by abdominal obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia. Thyroid hormones significantly affect lipid metabolism and dysfunction of the same can potentially increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Aim and Objectives: To assess the changes in thyroid parameters in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome. Material and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary healthcare centre and included subjects aged more than 18 years with a waist circumference > 90 cm for men and > 80 cm for women along with any two of the criteria: Triglycerides > 150 mg/dL, HDL< 40 mg/dL (men), < 50 mg/dL (women), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) > 130 mmHg, Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) > 85 mm Hg, Fasting Blood Glucose (FBS) > 100 mg/dL. Blood samples were taken from patients for glucose, lipid profile, and thyroid function tests and correlation was obtained. Results: Among the 141 patients enrolled in the study, 59.6% individuals had TSH in the euthyroid range, 39.7% in hypothyroid range, and 0.7% in the hyperthyroid range. Additionally, 75% individuals had free T4 in the euthyroid range, 6% in the hyperthyroid range and 19% in the hypothyroid range. Of the participants in the hypothyroid range, 45.7% were overweight, 33.3% were obese, and 25% were severely obese. There was only one hyperthyroid participant who was overweight. However, none of the assessed parameters showed a statistically significant association with TSH levels among the participants. Conclusion: The results show that there is no direct association between thyroid dysfunction and individual parameters of metabolic syndrome, However, subclinical hypothyroidism is prevalent among metabolic syndrome patients hence making evaluation for thyroid disease in these patients a priority.