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The coexistence of diabetes mellitus (DM) (both type 1 and type 2) and thyroid dysfunction, two common endocrine problems, is scientifically predictable. The prevalence of thyroid disorders among type 2 diabetics (more prevalent in India) was studied among patients visiting the outpatient department (OPD) of a district hospital in West Bengal to assess its relation with different characteristics of type 2 DM. A total of 120 patients suffering from type 2 DM (already diagnosed and on treatment) were randomly selected from the OPD (irrespective of their glycemic status). The thyroid status of all those patients was assessed. All diabetic patients were studied with a predesigned schedule and lab investigations for the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and its association with pertinent variables from January to December 2019. This study found a 28.3% prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among diabetics. It was significantly associated with poor glycemic control rising hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level (actual p-value for HbA1c vs abnormal thyroid status = 2.4 E-21) but not with other variables, including the duration of diabetes. Screening for thyroid dysfunction among diabetic persons should be routine, and strict glycemic control is essential.
Bhattacharyya et al. (Mon,) studied this question.