Thyroid Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Rajasthan, India: Prevalence and Association with Heart Rate Variability
Mahendra K. Brahmbhatt
Physiology Department, RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302033, India.
Raj Prabha
Physiology Department, RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302033, India.
Prahlad Dhakar
Medicine Department, RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302033, India.
Jitender Sorout
Physiology Department, RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302033, India.
Sunidhi Sharma *
Physiology Department, RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302033, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: Thyroid dysfunction is common in people with diabetes, though the relationship between the two is not fully understood. Because autonomic regulation influences cardiovascular, endocrine, and metabolic function, their coexistence may worsen cardiac autonomic dysfunction and increase cardiovascular risk. Despite its importance, limited research has comprehensively explored the combined impact of diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction.
Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in the Rajasthan population with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to investigate its relationship with heart rate variability (HRV) characteristics.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Physiology at RUHS CMS Jaipur, India. A total of 270 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the outpatient department were included. All participants were tested for diabetes and thyroid problems. Patients with comorbid conditions such as diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, or other chronic neuropathic disorders were excluded. Data collection included demographic details (age, gender, ethnicity), anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI, waist-hip ratio), and biochemical parameters (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, lipid profile, and thyroid profile). Heart rate variability was assessed in all participants. The acquired data were analysed using a statistical tool for social sciences (IBM SPSS version 21.0 for Windows 10).
Result: Thyroid dysfunction was present in 20% of participants, with hypothyroidism (14.81%) being more common than hyperthyroidism (5.19%). Females were more frequently affected than males. Participants with both diabetes and thyroid dysfunction showed significantly worse glycemic control, lipid profiles, and HRV parameters. A significant association was observed between thyroid status, diabetic parameters, and HRV indices.
Conclusions: The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 20% in this study. Hypothyroidism was more common among the study subjects than hyperthyroidism. Early screening may facilitate timely intervention. However, the study is limited by its single-centre, cross-sectional design, and further multicenter longitudinal studies are recommended.
Keywords: Diabetes, heart rate variability, thyroid dysfunction, prevalence, cardiovascular risk