Thyroid function tests, lipid profile and the diagnosis of thyroid diseases

ABSTRACT

Thyroid hormones exert an enormous range of effects on lipid metabolism. The composition and the transport of lipoproteins are seriously disturbed in thyroid diseases.The aim of this study is to look for a significant statistical correlation between thyroid hormones and levels of serum lipids in attempt to use such a correlation in the clinical diagnosis of thyroid disorders. Significant elevated levels of total cholesterol, phospholipids and VLDL cholesterol were observed in hypothyroidism with a slight increase in the serum triglyceride. However in hyperthyroidism, an insignificant decrease of total cholesterol, phospholipids and VLDL cholesterol concentrations was observed as well as plasma triglycerides The results of the present study suggests that the use of classical methods for the determination of lipid profile as a preliminary step in the diagnosis of thyroid disorder is to be of great importance, wherever radioimmunoassay assay kits of thyroid hormone are not available as in remote urban medical sites or in unfavorable circumstances