Clinical And Laboratory Profile Of Patients With Subclinical Hypothyroidism

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION:Subclinical hypothyroidism is a biochemical diagnosis where TSH is elevated with a normal FT4 and normal FT3. It is associated with signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism like fatigue, weight loss, constipation, menstrual irregularity, depression etc. It is also associated with comorbiditieslike DM, HTN.It is also associated with dylipidemia, pregnancy, infertility, etc. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1. To study clinical and laboratory profile of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. 2. To assess the comorbid diseases associated with subclinical hypothyroidism.3. To find the age group andgender in which it is common. 4. To find the comorbidities associated with it. 5. The conditions in which sub clinical hypothyroidism should be treated.Results: In our study, the total population studied was 50 cases of subclinical hypothyroidism. In our study, female population (40 cases) (80%) was dominant than male population (10 cases) (20%).The most common age group affected was 35-56yr –30 (60%) cases, followed by 25-34 yr-16 (32%) cases, and the least affected group was <=24 yr –4 (8%) cases.[1] Tapper et al had evaluated thyroid function in the clinical laboratory which had similar results.Conclusion: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a biochemical diagnosis with subtle symptoms, likely to be missed and it can progress to overt hypothyroidism, if not treated in time. It is also associated with conditions like dyslipidemia, pregnancy, infertility, goiter and some symptoms where it should be treated, as treating it will be beneficial.[8] Therefore, subclinical hypothyroidism is an entity which should be looked for carefully and treated as and when needed. However, the above results and interpretations are restricted to the small sample size of 50 patients that were included in this study. These results and interpretation may vary to certain extent when compared to a study which includes a bigger sample size.