Hypothyroidism in Metabolic Syndrome.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hypothyroidism are well-established forerunners of atherogenic cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is possible that patients suffering from both these disease entities may have a compounded risk. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of hypothyroidism in MetS.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to August 2018 in the department of medicine at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional ethical committee. The study subjects consisted of 157 patients with MetS, the diagnosis of which was based on the International Diabetes Federation criteria. After a detailed history and physical examination, relevant investigations including complete thyroid profile were done. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests (P < 0.05).

Results: In our study, the age of subjects ranged between 14 and 92 years, with a mean ± standard deviation of 48.1 ± 17.01 years. There were more females than males with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 46.5%. Hypothyroidism was more common in females (58.9%) as compared to males (41.1%). Patients with hypothyroidism had significantly higher body weight and body mass index (BMI) in comparison to euthyroid patients. The rest of the anthropometric parameters were comparable. Waist circumference and BMI of overt hypothyroid patients were found to be higher as compared to subclinical hypothyroid patients. Total cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly higher (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), while high-density lipoprotein levels were significantly lower in patients with hypothyroidism than the euthyroid group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Hypothyroidism, especially subclinical hypothyroidism, is a common endocrine disorder in patients with MetS. As MetS and hypothyroidism are independent risk factors for CVD, hence there is a need for screening for hypothyroidism and the treatment of the same can be beneficial in reducing the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with MetS.