Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 50, 1034-1037, Copyright © 1980 by Endocrine Society
Prevalence of subclinical thyroid failure in insulin-dependent diabetes
RS Gray, DQ Borsey, J Seth, R Herd, NS Brown and BF Clarke
A study was made of the distribution of primary thyroid failure, indicated
by a raised serum TSH concentration, in 605 (294 males and 311 females)
insulin-dependent (type I) diabetics, aged 21-84 yr, not previously
suspected of having thyroid disease. The prevalence of a raised serum TSH
concentration in females of all ages (17%) was significantly greater (P
less than 0.0005) than that in males (6.1%) and increased with increasing
age at onset of diabetes (P less than 0.05) and age at time of study (P
less than 0.001) in females but not in males. There was no significant
difference in the duration of diabetes when comparing patients with normal
and raised serum TSH concentrations. The prevalence of a raised TSH
concentration in late- onset insulin-dependent diabetics was no greater in
patients requiring insulin within 3 months of diagnosis of diabetes than in
those exhibiting secondary sulfonylurea failure, who required insulin more
than 3 months after diagnosis. In type I diabetes, the prevalence of
subclinical primary thyroid failure is considerably greater than has
previously been suspected, with female late-onset insulin-dependent
diabetics being at the greatest risk.
