Endocrine Abstracts

To investigate the frequency of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). To assess whether MetS features were associated with SCH. Study subjects were recruited from consecutive patients attending outpatient clinics within the department of internal medicine at KAUH, Jeddah city, KSA. A case–control study was conducted among 122 elderly women. Each patient was matched with a control whose age did not differ by more than 2 years. Demographic and medical data were obtained. MetS was defined according to the American Heart Association. Continuous data are presented as means±S.E.M. Differences between subjects with and without MetS were determined by Mann–Whitney’s U test and χ² tests where appropriate. Univariate relationships were estimates by Spearman’s correlation analysis. The level of significance was set at two-sided P values <0.05. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of SCH was 26% in the MetS group and 15% in the control group (P>0.05). The prevalence of SCH increased with age (r=0.241, P<0.01). All obesity measures were consistently inversely associated with serum TSH level. Subjects with MetS had significantly higher levels of blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood profile (except for HDL-C which was significantly lower), and serum insulin than their control counterparts (P<0.01). All anthropometric measurements and insulin resistance measures were lower in the control group than in MetS patients (P<0.01). C-reactive protein was higher in the MetS patients than their matching controls (P<0.01). SCH is increased in patients with MetS, therefore hypothyroidism should be considered in newly diagnosed MetS patients. Of all MetS components, waist circumference was the only component negatively associated with serum TSH levels. Low-grade inflammation was more prevalent among the National Cholesterol Education Program-defined MetS patients than their age-matched controls.