Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To evaluate the level of awareness among patients with thyroid disorders presenting to our hospital and determine patient profiles.

Design: The present study was conducted using a survey technique on patients aged between 18 and 75 years, who were admitted to our hospital for follow-up between December 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014. The pregnant women and those with a thyroid malignancy and patients who did not consent for the study were excluded. Demographic data such as age, gender, educational level, disease duration, control frequency as well as drug usage pattern, dose, duration and whether or not the patient received fixed dose drug regimen and food/drugs that are not to be taken with the drug were recorded. Type of salt used by the patients was also recorded.

Results: An interview was conducted with a total of 107 patients (4 males [3.7%] and 103 females [96.3%]) with a mean age of 46 years. Of these patients, 85 (79.4%) attended follow-up visits for more than a one-year period and most patients (n=56) were seen at least three times in the last one year (52.4%). Of these patients, 69 (64.5%) had hypothyroidism, 11 (10.3%) had hyperthyroidism, and the remaining 27 patients (25.2%) had euthyroid nodular goitre. It was found that 78 patients (72.9%) were inaccurately or incompletely informed about their disease. Of the patients, 54 (50.4%) were aware that they needed to use iodized salt and 41 patients (38.4%) were not aware of how to use the salt. When the patients in the study were asked whether they were aware of food and drugs interacting with levothyroxine, 55 patients (86%) were not aware of these food and drugs. Approximately 30% of patients used iron supplements and proton pump inhibitors together with levothyroxine.

Conclusions: The patients with thyroid disorders had a low level of awareness and low level of knowledge about their disease, follow-up data and their treatments. The physicians must make an endeavor to increase the level of awareness among the patients.

Keywords: thyroid disease, awareness, iodine deficiency, drug interaction