American Journal of Internal Medicine

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Clinical and Social Concerns in Treated Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism in Basrah: A Cross Sectional Study

Received: 21 October 2015    Accepted: 02 November 2015    Published: 30 December 2015
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Abstract

Background: Despite available treatment for hypothyroidism, L-thyroxine replacement therapy in a biochemically appropriate dose does not necessarily relieve patients' symptoms and complaints. The aim of the study was to evaluate the concerns of patients treated with hypothyroidism and to correlate these concerns with different patient characteristics and thyroid biochemical control. Subjects and Methods: one hundred eighteen treated primary hypothyroid patients attending Al-Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC) in Al-Basrah were entering a questionnaire designed to capture personal, anthropometric, biochemical and clinical data. Twenty-four concerns were questioned to the patients who score these concerns on a 4 point Likert scale. Results: The most scored patients' concerns were fatigue, neuropathic pain, lack of weight loss, cold intolerance, breathing problems, and swallowing problems. No statistically significant relations were existed between these concerns and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) control, except for a high TSH group which were highly likely to have concerns of feeling sick (OR: 0.27, 95%CI 0.54 to 2.0, p=0.001), neuropathic pain (OR: 0.4, 95%CI 0.17 to 1.6, p=0. 01), cold intolerance (OR: 0.35, 95%CI 0. 0.3 to 1.7, p=0.005), and hair problems (OR: 0.26, 95%CI 0.6 to 2.1, P<0.0001). A significant correlation existed between duration of the hypothyroidism and patients' concerns of swelling of the hands and feet (R=0.7 P<0.0001), memory problems (R=0.4 P<0.0001), hearing disturbance (R=0. 38 P<0.0001), and hair problems (R=0. 3 P=0.001). Age significantly affects patients' concerns of memory problems (R=0. 6 P<0.0001), swelling of the hands and feet (R=0.4 P<0.0001), and hearing disturbance (R=0.37 P<0.0001). Positive correlation was present between low density lipoprotein cholesterol level and patients' concerns of cold intolerance (R=0.3 P=0.001), hair problems (R=0. 28 P=0.003), feeling sick (R=0. 2 P=0. 02), and neuropathic pain (R=0.18 P=0.04). The total cholesterol level also showed a positive correlation with patients' concerns of cold intolerance (R=0.3 P=0.001), hair problems (R=0. 25 P=0.01), neuropathic pain (R=0. 22 P=0. 01), and fatigue (R=0. 2 P=0.04). Conclusion: We cannot rely on the TSH level alone as a marker of optimal treatment outcome in patients with primary hypothyroidism because it does not reflect the concern status of the patients.

DOI 10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17
Published in American Journal of Internal Medicine (Volume 3, Issue 6, November 2015)
Page(s) 256-263
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hypothyroidism, Patients' Concerns, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

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Author Information
  • Al-Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC), Basrah College of Medicine, Basrah, Iraq

  • Department of Medicine, Basrah College of Medicine, Basrah, Iraq

  • Al-Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC), Basrah College of Medicine, Basrah, Iraq

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  • APA Style

    Haider Ayad Alidrisi, Alaa Khattar Musa, Abbas Ali Mansour. (2015). Clinical and Social Concerns in Treated Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism in Basrah: A Cross Sectional Study. American Journal of Internal Medicine, 3(6), 256-263. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17

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    Haider Ayad Alidrisi; Alaa Khattar Musa; Abbas Ali Mansour. Clinical and Social Concerns in Treated Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism in Basrah: A Cross Sectional Study. Am. J. Intern. Med. 2015, 3(6), 256-263. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17

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    AMA Style

    Haider Ayad Alidrisi, Alaa Khattar Musa, Abbas Ali Mansour. Clinical and Social Concerns in Treated Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism in Basrah: A Cross Sectional Study. Am J Intern Med. 2015;3(6):256-263. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17,
      author = {Haider Ayad Alidrisi and Alaa Khattar Musa and Abbas Ali Mansour},
      title = {Clinical and Social Concerns in Treated Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism in Basrah: A Cross Sectional Study},
      journal = {American Journal of Internal Medicine},
      volume = {3},
      number = {6},
      pages = {256-263},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajim.20150306.17},
      abstract = {Background: Despite available treatment for hypothyroidism, L-thyroxine replacement therapy in a biochemically appropriate dose does not necessarily relieve patients' symptoms and complaints. The aim of the study was to evaluate the concerns of patients treated with hypothyroidism and to correlate these concerns with different patient characteristics and thyroid biochemical control. Subjects and Methods: one hundred eighteen treated primary hypothyroid patients attending Al-Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC) in Al-Basrah were entering a questionnaire designed to capture personal, anthropometric, biochemical and clinical data. Twenty-four concerns were questioned to the patients who score these concerns on a 4 point Likert scale. Results: The most scored patients' concerns were fatigue, neuropathic pain, lack of weight loss, cold intolerance, breathing problems, and swallowing problems. No statistically significant relations were existed between these concerns and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) control, except for a high TSH group which were highly likely to have concerns of feeling sick (OR: 0.27, 95%CI 0.54 to 2.0, p=0.001), neuropathic pain (OR: 0.4, 95%CI 0.17 to 1.6, p=0. 01), cold intolerance (OR: 0.35, 95%CI 0. 0.3 to 1.7, p=0.005), and hair problems (OR: 0.26, 95%CI 0.6 to 2.1, PConclusion: We cannot rely on the TSH level alone as a marker of optimal treatment outcome in patients with primary hypothyroidism because it does not reflect the concern status of the patients.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Clinical and Social Concerns in Treated Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism in Basrah: A Cross Sectional Study
    AU  - Haider Ayad Alidrisi
    AU  - Alaa Khattar Musa
    AU  - Abbas Ali Mansour
    Y1  - 2015/12/30
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17
    T2  - American Journal of Internal Medicine
    JF  - American Journal of Internal Medicine
    JO  - American Journal of Internal Medicine
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    EP  - 263
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-4324
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20150306.17
    AB  - Background: Despite available treatment for hypothyroidism, L-thyroxine replacement therapy in a biochemically appropriate dose does not necessarily relieve patients' symptoms and complaints. The aim of the study was to evaluate the concerns of patients treated with hypothyroidism and to correlate these concerns with different patient characteristics and thyroid biochemical control. Subjects and Methods: one hundred eighteen treated primary hypothyroid patients attending Al-Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC) in Al-Basrah were entering a questionnaire designed to capture personal, anthropometric, biochemical and clinical data. Twenty-four concerns were questioned to the patients who score these concerns on a 4 point Likert scale. Results: The most scored patients' concerns were fatigue, neuropathic pain, lack of weight loss, cold intolerance, breathing problems, and swallowing problems. No statistically significant relations were existed between these concerns and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) control, except for a high TSH group which were highly likely to have concerns of feeling sick (OR: 0.27, 95%CI 0.54 to 2.0, p=0.001), neuropathic pain (OR: 0.4, 95%CI 0.17 to 1.6, p=0. 01), cold intolerance (OR: 0.35, 95%CI 0. 0.3 to 1.7, p=0.005), and hair problems (OR: 0.26, 95%CI 0.6 to 2.1, PConclusion: We cannot rely on the TSH level alone as a marker of optimal treatment outcome in patients with primary hypothyroidism because it does not reflect the concern status of the patients.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 6
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