EFFECT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM ON LIPID PROFILE IN ASYMPTOMATIC NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is a very common endocrine problem. It can be either overt or subclinical. Subclinical hypothyroidism predisposes to overt hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism leads to hypercholesterolaemia because of reduced activity of lipoprotein lipase and thus increases the cardiovascular risk. The objective of this study was carried out to find the lipid profile in hypothyroid patients in asymptomatic previously undiagnosed cases and to correlate different components of lipid profile with TSH and fT4. Materials and Methods: This is a case control study consisting of 82 hypothyroid patients with age and gender matched controls selected through convenient sampling from Chemical Pathology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi and National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad between May and October 2012. Data were recorded using specially designed pro forma and analysis was carried out on SPSS 17. Results: Among the 82 hypothyroid patients, 62 were females while 20 were males. Mean age of patients was 40.6 ± 11.7 years. Hypothyroid patients showed a dyslipidaemic picture and all the components namely total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein were significantly raised when compared with the controls. TSH showed significant positive correlation (p value) with total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein. Conclusion: Hypothyroid patients show a dyslipidaemic picture, thus increasing the risk for cardiovascular complications. A hypothyroid patient must be screened for lipid abnormalities, while in case of unexplained hyperlipidemia, thyroid screening must be performed.