A comparative study of thyroid hormone levels in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Diabetic patients have a higher prevalence of thyroid disorders than the general population, this may influence diabetic management. In this study, we investigated thyroid hormone levels in uncontrolled diabetic patients. This comparative study was conducted at the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM). Fifty-two diabetic patients were consecutively selected from diabetic patients attending the out-patient department of BIRDEM. Fifty control subjects were selected from non-diabetic patients who attended the out-patient department of BIRDEM for routine check-ups as advised by their attending physicians. The subjects in both groups were above 30 years of age. The concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and thyroxine (FT4) were evaluated using a Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay (MEIA) procedure. Patients with type 2 diabetes had significantly lower serum FT3 levels (p = 0.000) compared to the control groups. There were no significant differences observed in serum FT4 (p = 0.339) and TSH (p = 0.216) levels between the control and study subjects. All the diabetic patients had high fasting blood glucose levels (12.15 +/- 2.12). We conclude that FT3 levels were altered in these study patients with uncontrolled diabetes.