Screening for thyroid disorders in medical undergraduate students

Abstract

Background: Thyroid dysfunction can have a negative impact on cognitive functions in young girls in adolescent age group as well as affect their future development of infertility, reproductive dysfunction and poor pregnancy outcome. Methods: Cross-sectional study of burden of thyroid disorders in 70 medical undergraduate students of 17-19 years age group studying in Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati. Results: Among the 70 female subjects screened for thyroid disorders, a single subject was found to have subclinical hypothyroidism. The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level of this subject was 8.1 mIU/L, which is considered to be mildly elevated from the normal range and the thyroxine levels were 89 ng/mL which is within the normal reference range. Her anti-TPO antibodies test results were negative. Conclusions: Identification of subclinical hypothyroidism in asymptomatic young girls in adolescent age group can help in initiating treatment early.

Keywords

• adolescent girls
• screening
• subclinical hypothyroidism