Thyroid diseases and diabetes mellitus in patients during hip and knee replacement preoperative period

Abstract

Introduction: In spite of it being a rather frequent condition, not much is known about thyroid dysfunction in our country. The study considered clinical physicians would profit from learning about the frequency of diagnosed cases.
Diabetes mellitus is an endocrinopathy that was widely studied in our country. The figures corresponding to thyroid dysfunction and diabetes mellitus were compared in the sample studied.
Objective: to determine the frequency rate of thyroid dysfunction in a sample made up of patients evaluated in the second opinion preoperative period, candidates for a coordinated knee or hip replacement surgery, under coverage by the Fondo Nacional de Recursos (FNR)* and of diabetes mellitus, and to compare them to international frequencies.
Method: specific data on thyroid dysfunction and diabetes mellitus were obtained for patients referred to the Medical Consulting Group, who carried out a second opinion evaluation.
Results: 1.879 patients were included in the study, 67.2% of them being women, ranging from 22 to 101 years old, average age was 69.7±9.8 years old.
The study revealed that 17.6% evidenced thyroid dysfunction (95% confidence interval: 16.0%-19.5%); 22.6% in women and 7.5% in men. 97% of individuals with thyroid dysfunction had hypothyroidism.
Likewise, prevalence of diabetes mellitus was also studied, representing 13.5% of the sample (confidence interval 95%: 11.4% - 5.2%), 12.9% of them being women and 14.4% being men.
Conclusions: prevalence of thyroid dysfunction found in the sample was 17.6%, higher than that found for diabetes mellitus, which was 13.5%. The high frequency of overweight and obesity (83.4%) was a further finding of the study.

* National Fund to cover certain treatments.