Ultrasonic Imaging of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Metabolic Syndrome with and without Thyroid Nodules: A Case-Control Patient-Based Study.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this work was to assess insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and metabolic syndrome prevalency among patients with and without thyroid nodules.

Materials and methods: This case-control study was done on 86 patients with normal TSH level (0.5-4.5 mIU/L) and thyroid nodules, who referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital (Ahvaz, Iran). Besides, 43 non-nodule patients with normal TSH level and normal thyroid ultrasonic images were enrolled randomly from the general population as the control group. The parameters of metabolic syndrome including height, weight, hip circumference, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and persistence of high blood pressure were assessed in two groups. The fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and insulin levels were measured. The diagnosis of insulin resistance was made when the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was ≥2.5.

Results: The mean value of insulin resistance was considerably higher in nodule patients than the control group (3.02 ± 1.92 vs. 1.10 ± 1.55; P < 0.001). HOMA-IR was seen in 49 (57.0%) and 4 (9.3%) in thyroid nodule and the control group patients, respectively (P < 0.0001). WC, BMI, FBS, TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and insulin levels were significantly higher in the nodular group than the control group.

Conclusions: Our study illustrates that there is an association between HOMA-IR and thyroid nodules. The thyroid nodules patients have higher HOMA-IR value compared to other groups. Also, the most of metabolic syndrome parameters were considerably higher in the thyroid nodule group.