Affiliation:
1. Endocrinology Department, Al-Mouwasat University Hospital, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
2. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
Abstract
Objective: Obesity and thyroid nodules are very common. Many studies have reported that weight gain is a new risk factor for goiters and thyroid nodules. In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate thyroid morphology in obese women and tried to link thyroid morphology with anthropometric parameters.
Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2017 and January 2018. Overweight and obese Syrian females, aged >35 years, without past or recent thyroid complaints, and living in the southern region of Syria were included in the study. Weight, height, and hip and waist circumference were measured to calculate anthropometric parameters. Thyroid volume and prevalence of thyroid nodules were compared among BMI groups as defined by World Health Organization classifications. Body Surface Area (BSA), waist circumference (WC), waist:hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) were compared between nodule groups.
Results: A total of 140 overweight and obese females, with a mean age of aged 53±7 years were studied. Mean thyroid volume was 12.4±7.4 mL, with the highest volume identified in the Obesity Class III group (14.9±10.9 mL). Significant positive correlations were found between thyroid volume and weight, BMI, WC, BSA, and WtHR (p<0.05). Thyroid nodule prevalence was 84.3%, and 22.0% of the nodules were fine needle aspiration indicated. Weight and BSA were positively correlated with thyroid nodules (p<0.05), while BMI was not.
Conclusion: Thyroid volume was positively correlated with increased weight, BMI, WC, BSA, and WtHR in Syrian females. Positive correlations were found between weight, BSA, and thyroid nodules after age and thyroid stimulating hormone were excluded.
Reference41 articles.
1. Schlumberger M et al., “Nontoxic diffuse goiter, nodular thyroid disorders, and thyroid malignancies," Melmed S et al. (eds.), Williams textbook of endocrinology (2016), 13th edition, London: Elsevier, Inc., pp. 449-89.
2. Graf H, “Multinodular goiter: Pathogenesis and management," Braverman LE, Cooper DS (eds.), Werner & Ingbar's the thyroid a fundamental and clinical text (2013), 10th edition, Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp. 635-49.
3. Knobel M. Etiopathology, clinical features, and treatment of diffuse and multinodular nontoxic goiters. J Endocrinol Invest. 2016;39(4):357-73.
4. Zimmermann MB, Boelaert K. Iodine deficiency and thyroid disorders. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2015;3(4):286-95.
5. Polyzos SA et al. Thyroid nodules – Stepwise diagnosis and management. Hormones (Athens). 2007;6(2):101-19.