The Coincidence of Thyroid Gland Disorders and Dyslipidemia during a Climacteric Period: a Hospital-based Study at Al-basheer and Ibn-alhytham Hospitals

Objective: To examine the complex triple inter-relationship between dyslipidemia, menopause, and thyroid abnormalities in a group of Jordanian women during climacteric period. Methods: This is a preliminary descriptive pilot study of premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women who were visiting various clinics at Al-Basheer hospital and Ibn-Alhytham hospital over a period of two years (August 1999 to August 2001). A total of 149 women were actually included in the study. The sampling method was randomized and on expedient basis. Lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, thyroid stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, and follicle-stimulating hormone were determined in the obtained blood samples. Other demographic, social, lifestyle, and clinical data were evaluated during a 4-hour interview/examination in a health clinic. Results: The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 60% of which 20% were not previously diagnosed, and with similar rates in peri-and postmenopause. When further multiple comparisons were performed, postmenopausal women had significantly higher FBS than pre and perimenopausal subjects (P= 0.05), while their total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were only significantly elevated from premenopausal females (P= 0.01, P= 0.03, respectively). Although the triglyceride levels were higher in postmenopause as contrasted to pre-and perimenopause categories, the final results did not reach the level of statistical significance (P=0.7). The total prevalence of thyropathy based on TSH and free thyroxine levels in addition to past medical history was 29.5% of the study sample. However, no marked association was found between thyropathy and either menopausal status (OR=1.75, 95% CI, 0.6 to 5; P=0.3), or dyslipidemia (OR=0.7; 95% CI, 0.3 to 2; P=0.56). Conclusion: In general, the high prevalence of thyroid disease in our female population was independent on age or the menopausal condition. Although dyslipidemia was strongly associated with postmenopause, it occurred at equal probabilities in both euthyroid as well as thyropathic postmenopausal women.