FREQUENCY OF HYPOTHYROIDISM IN PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY IN PEMH

Background: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder requiring long-term antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy, which is known to impact various body systems, including thyroid function. Thyroid dysfunction, particularly hypothyroidism, has been reported in patients undergoing AED treatment, but the prevalence and extent of this comorbidity remain underexplored. This study aims to determine the frequency of hypothyroidism in epilepsy patients at a tertiary care hospital. Objective: To determine the frequency of hypothyroidism in patients with epilepsy reported to PEMH using Blood thyroid Levels. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Pakistan Emirates Military Hospital from February 2024 to July 2024. A total of 385 epilepsy patients were selected through simple random sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Blood samples were collected to assess thyroid levels, and the frequency of hypothyroidism was determined. Data was collected, entered, and analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Out of 385 patients, 195 (50.64%) were male and 190(49.3%) were female. Mean age was 39.41+ 2.28. 295 (76.66%) of epileptic patients had hypothyroidism. More than 2/3rd of the patients had hypothyroidism. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a significant prevalence of hypothyroidism among epilepsy patients, particularly those on long-term antiepileptic drug therapy and polytherapy regimens. The findings highlight the importance of regular thyroid function monitoring in this population to manage and mitigate the risk of thyroid dysfunction effectively.