Endocrine Abstracts

Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto thyroiditis, is the most frequent type of thyroiditis. An average 2% of the population suffer from the disease. The incidence of the disease is estimated as 0.3–1.5/1000 people a year.

The main cause of the disease includes autoimmune disorders, that result in increased risk of diabetes type 1. Furthermore, during the course of Hashimoto thyroiditis, hypothyroidism may originate carbohydrate metabolism disorders, which lead to the increase of insulin resistance.

We examined 54 patients (45 females and 9 males at the age of 17–87) with the diagnosis of Hashimoto thyroiditis based on clinical picture and examination (autoantibodies anti-TPO and anti-Tg). The patients have been hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz between 2001 and 2010.

In the tested group with Hashimoto thyroiditis, diabetes was confirmed in 27.8% of the patients; impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) occurred in 16.6%, whereas normoglycaemia was confirmed in 55.6% of the patients.

It has been proved there is a connection between the incidence of either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and carbohydrate metabolism disorders. The abnormalities of glycaemia levels are directly proportional to the hormone disorders of the thyroid gland.

Carbohydrate metabolism disorders in the form of type 1 diabetes connected with an autoimmune process, as well as type 2 diabetes connected with the increase of the insulin resistance, occur in average of half of the patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.