A cross sectional study of the prevalence of hypothyroidism in a sample of patients with high risk for diabetes

Background: Recent studies suggested that the chronically high-blood glucose that can be induced by thyroid disease may contribute to the development of pre-diabetic state. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of hypothyroidism in a sample of patients with prediabetes. Methods: 312 subjects with previous Impair fasting glucose (IFG), evaluated in the outpatient clinic at the Air-force Central Hospital in Lima-Perú, were include. An Oral Glucose Tolerance test (OGTT) were performed to define the pre-diabetic state. Hypothyroidism were considered based on the results of TSH and free thyroxin (Ft4) or previous history of disease. Lipid profile, liver enzymes (AST and ALT) and anthropometrics measurements (body-mass index and abdominal circumferences) were obtained. Results: The mean age was 55.9 ± 12.6, with 173 (55.4%) females. After OGTT we found 26 subjects with type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of prediabetes was 55.5% which represents 173 subjects (98 with IFG and 75 with Impaired Glucose Tolerance [IGT]). We found 113 subjects with normal glucose (NG). The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 11% (36). In the prediabetes group, we found 12.7 % (22) of subjects with hypothyroidism, 14.3% (14) with IFG and 10.7% (8) with IGT. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in subjects with NG was 9.7% (11). There no were significant differences in the prevalence of Hypothyroidism between the group of prediabetes (neither IFG or IGT) and NG. Conclusion: In our study, the preliminary analysis did not find significant differences in the prevalence of hypothyroidism between subjects with prediabetes and normal glucose.