Comparison of Thyroid Function Tests Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients With and Without Diabetic Nephropathy and Controls

Overview

Journal Cureus

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2024 Oct 31

PMID 39479143

Authors

J T V Krishna Pavan Kumar

Uma M A

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with hyperglycemia and impaired insulin function. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of T2DM, characterized by progressive kidney damage. Thyroid dysfunction, particularly hypothyroidism, has been increasingly recognised as a significant factor influencing the progression of DN.

Objective: To compare thyroid function tests in patients with T2DM with and without diabetic nephropathy and non-diabetic controls, and to assess the role of thyroid dysfunction in DN progression.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 participants. Patients were divided into three groups: T2DM with DN, T2DM without DN, and controls, with 75 participants in each group. Data collection included demographic details, comorbidities, and clinical assessments such as blood pressure, thyroid function tests, urinary albumin levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), renal function tests, serum electrolytes, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The most common DN stage among T2DM patients was stage 4 (29, 38.7%), followed by stages 2 and 5 (19, 25.3% each). The T2DM with DN (47, 62.7%) group had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared to the T2DM without DN group (38, 51.5%) and controls (24, 32%) (p value<0.001). Abnormal cardiovascular, respiratory, and abdominal examinations were most prevalent in the T2DM with DN group. Hypothyroidism was more prevalent in both T2DM groups (14, 18.7% each) compared to controls (2, 2.7%) (p value<0.004). Conclusion: Our findings strengthen the evidence of an important link between T2DM and thyroid disorders. The high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among T2DM patients highlights the critical need for routine screening and integrated management of both conditions to enhance patient outcomes.

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