The thyroid-pericardium connection: Unveiling the influence of hypothyroidism severity on pericardial effusion in South Gujarat's patient population—A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Context: Hypothyroidism and pericardial effusion are two conditions that are associated with previous research. Nevertheless, the correlation between the severity of hypothyroidism and the occurrence of pericardial effusion remains uncertain. Aims: 1. To explore and examine the association between the severity of hypothyroidism and the occurrence of pericardial effusion. 2. To compare clinical characteristics and demographic factors with varying degrees of hypothyroidism severity and pericardial effusion. Settings and Design: Tertiary care hospital and cross-sectional study using a pretested, semistructured questionnaire and echocardiography. Method and Material: The cross-sectional study encompassed a cohort of 60 patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Statistical Analysis Used: Epi-info version 7.0 and Open epi version 3.1, Chi-square, mean, and standard deviation were used. Results: There were 16 male participants, accounting for 26.7% of the total, and 44 female participants, constituting 73.3% of the cohort. The participants' average age was 35.5 years. Based on TSH levels, the severity of hypothyroidism in the study was classified into three categories: mild (33.4%), moderate (43.3%), and severe (23.3%). The most common symptoms were lethargy, weight gain, and cold intolerance. Also, an association between the severity of hypothyroidism and pericardial effusion was noted. Conclusion: This research established a noteworthy correlation between hypothyroidism severity and pericardial effusion incidence that is statistically significant. Nevertheless, no significant associations were detected with demographic factors or pulse rate. These results underscore the significance of monitoring and addressing pericardial effusion in patients with moderate-to-severe hypothyroidism. Further investigations are warranted to extend these findings.

Keywords

• echocardiography
• hypothyroidism
• pericardial effusion
• tsh levels