Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long-standing illness with increasing global prevalence, and among its systemic manifestations, thyroid dysfunction, particularly hypothyroidism is a significant yet often overlooked endocrine abnormality. This cross-sectional study, conducted from 1st January to 31st December 2019 at MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, aimed to assess the thyroid function profile and prevalence of hypothyroidism in CKD patients, and to analyze the relationship between thyroid hormone levels and CKD stages.91 adult CKD patients were evaluated for serum levels of Free Triiodothyronine (FT3), Free Thyroxine (FT4), and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) using chemiluminescence immunoassay, along with kidney function parameters including serum creatinine, urea, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The mean age was 53.08 ± 13.6 years, with females comprising 54.4% of participants, and the majority (57.1%) were in Stage 5 CKD. The mean eGFR was 17.09 ± 13.89 ml/min/1.73 m². Hypothyroidism was observed in 30.8% of patients (20.9% overt and 9.9% subclinical), with elevated TSH in 30.8%, while FT3 and FT4 remained within reference ranges in most cases. A significant association was found between CKD stage and hypothyroidism (p < 0.05). The findings underscore the high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in CKD, particularly as the disease progresses, highlighting the importance of routine thyroid screening for early detection and management.
Soumya. P. S (Tue,) studied this question.