Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 37 GP26.06 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.GP.26.06

ECE2015 Guided Posters Thyroid – hypothyroidism (10 abstracts)

Analysis of hypothyroidism in patients admitted to internal medicine wards in Spain 2005–2012

Rona Penso 1 , Alejandra Duran 1 , Teresa Ruiz Gracia 1 , Irene Crespo 1 , Ana Ortola 1 , Paz De Miguel 1 , Manuel Mendez 1 , Karla Nuñez 1 , Judith Lopez 2 & Javier Marco 1


1Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain; 2Hospital Universitario de Canarias, San Cristobal de la Laguna, Spain.


Introduction: Hypothyroidism (hT) is a very common disease that can affect inpatients prognosis. We analysed the clinical profile of patients with hT admitted to Internal Medicine using a large clinical-administrative database.

Methods: A descriptive analysis based on the minimum-data-set database of the Spanish National health System of patients who were discharged from the services of Internal Medicine with the diagnoses of hT during 2005–2012 was performed.

Results: A total of 3 984 533 patients admitted to Internal Medicine were included, identifying 141 616 cases of hT (3.6%). From the population 75.8% were women, average age in hT patients was 74.34 (S.D.: 14.30). Overall mortality in hT group was 7.6% vs 10% in nonhT (nhT). The 14.3% of the patients hT were readmitted, whereas in the whole population the 13.3% did it. The average hospital stay was 9.73 (S.D.: 10.04) days. The comorbidities associated to hT were as follows: connective tissue disease (2.2% in hT vs 1.1% in nonhT), diabetes mellitus (32.5% vs 27.5% respectively), hypertension (42.1% vs 36.9% respectively), hypercholesterolemia (23.4% vs 16.2% respectively), obesity (12.8% vs 7.5% respectively), anemia (21.9% vs 16.1% respectively), and chronic renal impairment (15.9% vs 11.5% respectively). In the multivariable analysis hT was associated to a lower mortality rate OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.70–0.73; P<0.05). In the adjusted analysis by age (95% CI 1.052–1.053; P<0.05) and by comorbidities Charlson index OR 1.246 (95% CI 1.245–1.248; P<0.05).

Conclusion: Hypothyroidism was associated with cardiovascular risk factors as well as other comorbidities (obesity, anemia, kidney failure, and connective tissue pathologies). Some authors suggest that the increase in TSH levels could have a protective effect during admission. However, surprisingly in the hT group there was lower mortality rate. Further studies are needed to confirm this results and determinate other involved factors.

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