Relationship between metabolic syndrome and nodular thyroid diseases

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Diseases
• Thyroidology

Background:

• Nodular thyroid diseases are prevalent in Turkey.
• Insulin resistance (IR), a key component of metabolic syndrome (MetS), is implicated in thyroid disease development.
• The relationship between MetS components and thyroid nodularity requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors associated with thyroid nodularity.
• To explore the role of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in thyroid nodule formation.

Main Methods:

• Prospective MELEN study involving 2233 randomly selected subjects.
• Analysis of a euthyroid subgroup (n=1432), with 421 diagnosed with MetS.
• Statistical evaluation of associations between MetS, IR, and thyroid nodularity, considering age and blood pressure.

Main Results:

• Goitres and multinodular goitres (MNGs) were significantly more prevalent in the MetS (+) group.
• Older age was the sole significant factor for nodular goitre (NG).
• MNG presence correlated with older age, systolic blood pressure, and MetS. Thyroid volume and MNGs were linked to MetS, independent of TSH and IR.

Conclusions:

• Individual MetS components may cumulatively influence thyroid nodularity.
• Insulin resistance alone does not fully explain increased thyroid volume and nodule formation in the absence of MetS.