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Published on: December 7, 2017
Hypothyroidism is a Risk Factor for New-Onset Diabetes: A Cohort Study
Naomi Gronich1, Spyros N Deftereos2, Idit Lavi3
1Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center, and The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel gronichn@clalit.org.il.
Hypothyroidism increases diabetes risk, with subclinical hypothyroidism posing a risk primarily when using statins. Treating thyroid conditions may help reduce diabetes mellitus development.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Statin therapy is widely prescribed for cardiovascular disease prevention.
- Statin-associated diabetes mellitus (DM) is a recognized adverse effect.
- Risk factors for statin-associated DM require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key risk factors contributing to the development of statin-associated diabetes mellitus (DM).
Main Methods:
- A two-phase study utilizing in silico data processing and an observational cohort study.
- Propensity score matching was used to compare statin users and nonusers.
- Time-dependent Poisson regression models assessed the risk of DM occurrence.
Main Results:
- Hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were identified as significant risk factors for DM.
- Hypothyroidism increased DM risk independently of statin use.
- The risk of DM associated with subclinical hypothyroidism was primarily observed in statin users.
Conclusions:
- Hypothyroidism is a confirmed risk factor for diabetes mellitus.
- Subclinical hypothyroidism presents a notable risk for DM specifically when patients are on statin treatment.
- Early identification and management of hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism may mitigate the risk of developing DM.
