Abstract

Introduction and objectives -Thyroid diseases are amongst the commonest endocrine disorders worldwide. India too is no exception. In India sub Himalayan belt extending from Kashmir to Assam is well a recognized area of endemic iodine deficiency. The main aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of thyroid disorders amongst the adult population of Barpeta town and to create awareness among the population about the disorder. Material and methods- The current study was a cross sectional study conducted in the Barpeta district, Assam at Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital. 600 participants were included in the study after taking proper consent after explaining the procedure to each subjects. Assays for thyroid hormones (T3 ,T4) and TSH were performed by Electrochemiluminescence(ECL) technology using Immunoassay analyzer Roche Cobas e411. Anti TPO antibodies were also measured by the same analyzer. The prevalence of different thyroid function disorders was summarized as count and percentages. A chi square test was used to assess the trends in the prevalence of the disorders among different age groups and genders. Result- Of the total study population 443 (73.83%) subjects had normal levels of serum T3, T4 and TSH values without history of thyroid medication. Other 157 (26.17%) subjects had abnormal serum thyroid hormones and TSH levels, who were categorized as hypothyroid, subclinical hypothyroid, hyperthyroid and subclinical hyperthyroid. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in the overall study population was 9.67 %(n=58) , of which6.33%(n=20) were self reported cases and 6.33%(n=38) were previously undetected. Subclinical hypothyroidism was observed in 4% of the study population. Hyperthyroidism –a total of 25 (4.17%) participants including 14 females were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Subclinical hyperthyroidism was seen in 10 subjects including 6 female subjects though significant association between the frequency of the disorder with age or gender was not seen. Anti TPO antibody positivity was seen in 40 subjects without significant variation as per gender and age. Conclusion- Our study demonstrates that hypothyroidism was higher in the older adults with a female preponderance and there is a significant prevalence of hyperthyroidism too.

Authors and Affiliations