Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Recently many authors are questioning the existing of elements of metabolic syndrome (MetSy) in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). In this cross sectional study we observed glycemia, as an element of MetSy, in newly diagnosed patients with SH.

Materials and methods: Seventy females participated in study. Among them there were 50 patients with SH, mean age 58.3 (±8.53), and 20 controls without SH, mean age 51.1 (±6.79). We determined next paramethers: TSH, FT₄, anti TPO-antibody (by ELISA method), and glycemia, insulinemia, HgA1c, and performed oral glucose tolerance test to all who did not already have diabetes mellitus type 2. We measured body waist, weight, and height. We calculated BMI and HOMA indexes. For statistical calculations we used EXCEL, Med-Calc and SPSS Programs.

Results: The patients were older then controls, they had higher levels of waist (W) and BMI. In the group of patients we found significantly higher percent of diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), 36%, and among them 14% newly diagnosed DM2. In the control group there were no DM. In the patients group, as expected, we found higher levels of TSH, anti TPO-Ab, and lower levels of FT₄. Concentraion of glucose and HgA1c were higher among the patients. There were statistical significantly difference between the groups in waist F=5.64, P=0.020; glucose F=4.40, P=0.040; HgA1c F=4.90, P=0.030; TSH F=116.62, P<0.001; FT₄ F=5.97, P=0,017; and anti TPO-Ab F=63.23, P< 0,001. We did not find statistical significance in HOMA and insulinemia. We found that there was positive correlation between the concentration of glucose and TSH (R=0.304, P=0.032) in patients group, but not in the control group. We did not find positive correlation between glucose and FT₄ in both groups.

Conclusions: Considering the results of our study we recommend determination of glucose levels (and, if necessary OGTT) in every patient whom we diagnosed SH.