Prevalence of abnormal thyroid function test in adults attending primary care setting in the year 2022 in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

Background Thyroid disease is known to be one of the most common endocrine diseases globally and has serious health implications if left untreated. Objective This study aimed to gain a better understanding of common thyroid diseases and to explore the associated risk factors in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Methods A case-control study was carried out after obtaining all thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) results done in a primary healthcare setting from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 from the Health Information Department. In total, 500 participants were randomly selected from each group: the abnormal thyroid test group (cases) and the normal thyroid test group (controls). Participants were interviewed using a structured list of associated risk factors with the following sections: sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, family history of thyroid disease, BMI, previous radiation therapy, and certain medications. Results The prevalence of abnormal thyroid tests was found to be 11%. Cases were categorized into four groups: hyperthyroidism (26.4%), hypothyroidism (64.6%), hyperthyroidism (4.5%), and subclinical hypothyroidism 13 (4.5%). The results showed significant differences between case and control in the following risk factors: female sex, increasing age, BMI, dyslipidemia, family history of thyroid disease, and previous radiation therapy (P = <0.05). Conclusion In summary, the high prevalence of abnormal thyroid results highlights the need for an organized national screening program for individuals at average risk for developing thyroid disease.

Keywords

• prevalence
• risk factors
• thyroid function test