The Effect of Thyroid Dysfunction on the Cardiovascular Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Ghana

Abstract EN

Background.

Thyroid dysfunction is known to exaggerate the coronary heart disease (CHD) risk associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among whites.

The effect is yet to be studied among African populations.

Methods.

This is a cross-sectional study involving 780 T2DM patients enrolled in a diabetes clinic in Kumasi, Ghana.

CHD risk was estimated using the Framingham and UKPDS risk scores.

Risks were categorised as low (<10%), intermediate (10–19%), and high (≥20%).

Associations between metabolic risk factors, thyroid dysfunction, and CHD risk were measured using Spearman’s partial correlation analysis while controlling for age and gender.

Differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05.

Results.

780 T2DM patients (57.7% females), mean ± SD age of 57.4 ± 9.4 was analysed.

The median (IQR) 10-year CHD score estimated using the Framingham and UKPDS risk engines for males and females was 12 (8–20), 9.4 (5.7–13.4), p<0.0001 and 3 (1–6), 5.8 (3.4–9.6), p<0.0001, respectively.

Positive correlation was found between CHD risk and HbA1c, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and thyroid stimulating hormone.

Conclusion.

The presence of thyroid dysfunction significantly increased the CHD risk associated with T2DM patients in Ghana.