Abstract
Thyroid disorders are more common in people with diabetes compared to the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid disorders in Libyan patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the association between thyroid dysfunction and T2DM parameters. The current study included a total of 50 participants: 40 with T2DM, and 10 healthy volunteers. They were divided into three groups: G1 (10 healthy controls), G2 (30 patients with T2DM [DM]), and group 3 [10 patients with T2DM and thyroid dysfunction (DM+TD)]. The average age of control and patients was 33.1±10.9 years and 55.3±12.8 years, respectively. The diabetes profile (FBS, RBS, and HbA1c), and thyroid profile (TSH, FT3, and FT4) of each participant were assessed. The levels of FBG, RBS, and HbA1c showed a highly significant (P=0.000) increase in the DM and DM+TD groups compared to the healthy control group. Additionally, the findings indicated that the majority of the participants with diabetes (75%) had normal thyroid function, while 25% had thyroid disorders., Among the patients with thyroid disorders, 10% had subclinical hypothyroidism, 7.5% nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NITS), and 7.5% exhibited high levels of TSH, FT4, and FT3.,. The prevalence of thyroid disorders was higher in women (22.5%) than in men (2.5%). None o of the diabetic patients showed hyperthyroidism in this study. The study concluded that 25% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus had a thyroid disorder, and subclinical hypothyroidism was more prevalent. Also, the current study showed that female gender and family history of thyroid disorders are important risk factors.