A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LIPID PROFILE BETWEEN CHILDREN WITH SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM VERSUS EUTHYROID CHILDREN

*Kher Bek Fatima MD., Chreitah Ahmad PhD., Radwan Faisal PhD.

ABSTRACT

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism is one of the most prevalent endocrine disorders, affecting 4-15% of adults and about 2% of children. Although thyroid dysfunction is associated with dyslipidemia, the incidence of dyslipidemia in children with subclinical hypothyroidism is still subject to debate, and whether these children should be treated for subclinical hypothyroidism remains unknown. Objectives: To determine whether children with subclinical hypothyroidism have a greater incidence of blood lipid disorders than those with normal thyroid function. Materials and Methods: An Observational Comparative-Cross Sectional Study included all children (ages 2–18) years diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism compared with euthyroid children attending the Pediatric Endocrine Clinic at Tishreen University Hospital during the study period from June 2023 to June 2024. Results: A higher percentage of lipid serum disorders was found in the subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) group in comparison with euthyroid group (higher levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels), with statistical significance (P-value<: 0.0001, 0.0001, 0.04, 0.0001) respectively, regardless of age, sex, or body mass index (BMI). Conclusion: The study revealed a significant difference between the percentages of dyslipidemia in subclinical hypothyroidism and euthyroid children, highlighting the importance of early screening and monitoring blood lipid levels in those children. Further research is necessary to clarify whether mild doses of Levothyroxine can reverse the dyslipidemia induced by SCH in children.

Keywords:

children, euthyroid, lipid profile, subclinical hypothyroidism.

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