Association between metabolic syndrome and euthyroid nodular goiter: a case-control study

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Thyroidology

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome, characterized by insulin resistance, is linked to thyroid cell proliferation.
• Limited research exists on the association between metabolic syndrome and thyroid nodular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and nodular thyroid disease in a population with sufficient iodine intake.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 182 patients undergoing thyroid ultrasonography.
• Cases (n=91) had thyroid nodules >3 mm; controls (n=91) did not.

Main Results:

• Metabolic syndrome showed a significant association with thyroid nodules (OR 2.56).
• Low HDL (OR 2.81) and impaired fasting glucose (OR 2.05) were independently linked to thyroid nodules.
• Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of metabolic syndrome (OR 2.96), low HDL (OR 2.77), and impaired fasting glucose (OR 2.23) with thyroid nodules.

Conclusions:

• Thyroid nodular disease is associated with an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome.
• Decreased HDL and impaired fasting glucose levels are significant contributing factors to this association.