Background and Objective:Menstrual irregularities are a common gynecological complaint, often linked to thyroid dysfunction, which disrupts the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis. This study sought to assess prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among reproductive-aged women with menstrual irregularities and to evaluate the specific clinical and hormonal correlations between different menstrual patterns and Thyroid Status. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 women presenting with menstrual irregularities. Participants were classified as Euthyroid, Subclinical Hypothyroid, Overt Hypothyroid, or Hyperthyroid. Descriptive statistics summarized baseline data (e.g., mean Age = 29.63 plus or minus 7.97 years). The association between Menstrual Irregularity Type and Thyroid Status was assessed using the Chisquared test (chi-square). Differences in hormone levels (TSH, Free T4, Free T3) were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test. A Binary Logistic Regression model was applied to identify independent predictors (Age, BMI, Menstrual Pattern) of overall thyroid dysfunction. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The overall prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 34.17 percent (N=41). The chi-square test showed a highly significant association between the type of menstrual irregularity and thyroid status (p less than 0.0001). Hypothyroidism: Menorrhagia was the most common irregularity and had the highest prevalence of Overt Hypothyroidism (27.78 percent). Menorrhagia was the only independent predictor of overall thyroid dysfunction in the regression model (OR = 5.45, p=0.026). Hyperthyroidism: Hypomenorrhea (60.0 percent) and Amenorrhea (18.52 percent) showed the strongest associations with Hyperthyroidism. Hormonal: The Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed significant differences in median levels of all three hormones (TSH, Free T4, Free T3; all p less than 0.05) across the menstrual groups.Conclusion: Thyroid dysfunction is highly prevalent in women with menstrual irregularities, and a clear, pattern-specific relationship exists. Menorrhagia is an independent risk factor for thyroid dysfunction, while reduced-flow patterns suggest hyperthyroidism. These findings strongly support the integration of routine TSH screening as a mandatory part of the initial clinical evaluation for all women presenting with menstrual cycle disturbances.
Kassab et al. (Thu,) studied this question.