Serum Creatinine Level and its Relation with Thyroid Profile: a Cross-Sectional Study among Newly Diagnosed Hypothyroid Patients

CONTEXT:  Hypothyroidism is considered one of the known global public health complications affecting human kidney function.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the effect of hypothyroidism on serum creatinine levels and the correlation between the extent of hypothyroidism and serum creatinine levels among newly diagnosed hypothyroid subjects.

METHODS: The study subjects were selected from patients undergoing thyroid evaluation in Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajshahi from July 2018 to June 2019. Among them 60 participants were selected, 30 were hypothyroid cases and 30 were age and sex-matched controls with normal thyroid profiles (euthyroid). Recently diagnosed and untreated cases were selected. A purposive sampling technique was used to select each study subject. The blood sample was collected from non-fasting subjects. T3, T4, and TSH were assayed by RIA and IRMA techniques. Serum creatinine was measured by Jaffe’s method in an alkaline medium on a semi-auto analyzer. The test of significance was calculated by using an unpaired student-t test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: In the present study we found the mean value of serum creatinine was significantly higher in hypothyroid patients as compared to euthyroid controls. And also there was a strong positive correlation was seen between TSH and creatinine in the hypothyroid group. Creatinine had a positive correlation with T4 (p<0.01) but showed a negative correlation with T3 level in hypothyroidism.

CONCLUSION:  This recommends that as hypothyroidism patients have significant changes in serum creatinine level it can be suggested that patients with unexplained abnormal renal function should be screened for hypothyroidism.