ABSTRACT
Introduction: The global burden of thyroid disorders, especially hypothyroidism, is high and increasing. Prevalence studies of such disorders are limited in Nepal. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of hypothyroidism among patients visiting the Department of Biochemistry in the central laboratory of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients visiting the Department of Biochemistry in the central laboratory from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021 after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: UCMS/IRC/054/20). Patients of all age groups and gender were considered. Hypothyroid patients were identified based on the thyroid function parameters. They were further categorized as sub-clinical and overt hypothyroid. A convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 3,010 patients, the prevalence of hypothyroidism was seen in 770 (25.58%) (24.02-27.14, 95% Confidence Interval). Out of total hypothyroid patients, 555 (72.08%) were females. Overt hypothyroidism 519 (67.40%) was the most prevalent hypothyroid disorder, followed by subclinical hypothyroidism 251 (32.60%). Conclusions: The prevalence of hypothyroidism among patients visiting the Department of Biochemistry in the central laboratory of a tertiary care centre was higher than in other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: hypothyroidism; Nepal; thyroid-stimulating hormone.
