Study of Thyroid Function Tests in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of clinical and metabolic abnormalitiesincluding abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired fasting glucose orimpaired glucose tolerance. Metabolic syndrome and thyroid dysfunction are independentrisk factors for cardiovascular disease. Aims and objectives: To study the prevalence,symptomatology of thyroid dysfunction and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findingsof thyroid in the patients having metabolic syndrome. Material and methods: The study wascarried out in 60 cases of metabolic syndrome (according to NCEP ATP III criteria) selectedfrom the medicine outdoor clinic (including diabetic clinics, thyroid clinics) and medicineindoor wards in Post Graduate Department of Medicine, SN Medical College and Hospital,Agra. Diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction was made by history, examination and serum FT4and TSH. Result and observations: Out of 60 patients of metabolic syndrome, 30 patients(50%) were euthyroid, 13 patients (21.66%) had subclinical hypothyroid and 12 patients (20%)had overt hypothyroid. Five patients (8.33%) of metabolic syndrome had hyperthyroidism.Truncal obesity was most prevalent (80.0%) component of metabolic syndrome, followedby hypertriglyceridemia (70%). Diabetes mellitus was equally prevalent in both males aswell as females and was present in about 40.0% patients and 53% of patients with metabolicsyndrome were hypertensive. Conclusion: This study shows that 50% metabolic syndromepatients had thyroid dysfunction. About 21.66% had subclinical hypothyroidism, 20% hadovert hypothyroidism and 8.33% were having hyperthyroidism. The most common symptomin metabolic syndrome patients with hypothyroidism was lethargy/sleepiness followed bydry and coarse skin. The most common symptom in hyperthyroid patients was nervousness(100%) followed by sweating, heat intolerance and palpitation in 80% of the patients.