Prevalence and Evolution of Thyroid Dysfunction in COVID-19: A Retrospective Study.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Infectious Diseases
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system but also impacts endocrine functions.
• Thyroid dysfunction has been linked to COVID-19, with ongoing debate about its role in disease severity.
• Understanding the prevalence and course of thyroid dysfunction in COVID-19 is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and evolution of thyroid dysfunction in adult patients with confirmed COVID-19.
• To identify the types of thyroid abnormalities most commonly observed in COVID-19 patients.
• To assess whether thyroid dysfunction progresses in patients post-COVID-19 infection.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 615 adult COVID-19 patients with thyroid function tests.
• Exclusion of patients with pre-existing thyroid disease or thyroid-affecting medications.
• Statistical analysis using SPSS to compare thyroid function test abnormalities.

Main Results:

• Thyroid dysfunction was present in 13.6% of patients (84 out of 615).
• Most common findings included non-thyroidal illness syndrome (46.4%) and subclinical hypothyroidism (44%).
• Thyroid dysfunction generally did not progress to overt disease over a one-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Thyroid dysfunction is a notable comorbidity in COVID-19 patients, particularly subclinical hypothyroidism and NTIS.
• These thyroid abnormalities are often transient and self-limiting.
• Pathogenesis may involve viral and inflammatory mechanisms; monitoring thyroid function in symptomatic individuals is recommended due to overlap with long COVID symptoms.