Background: Hypothyroidism is rampant in the urban and semi-urban areas of India and West Bengal is no exception. Additionally calcium and magnesium deficiency is highly prevalent in this state. The effect of thyroid hormones on these minerals has as yet been studied only in a few regions of the country and so far very little among the population of urban and semi-urban West Bengal.
Objectives: To assess the mineral status [calcium and magnesium] among hypothyroid patients and evaluate any association with thyroid hormone levels.
Materials & methods: A multi-centric hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism on the basis of their serum TSH and fT4 levels, designated as cases and 100 apparently healthy euthyroid controls. Cases were further sub-classified as subclinical (n=57) or primary (n=43) hypothyroids. Serum levels of TSH, fT4, calcium and magnesium were measured in all study participants.
Results: A significantly higher proportion of cases showed levels of both minerals to be below the lower limit of the reference interval than for the controls (P<0.0001) and this was true for both subclinical as well as primary hypothyroids with lower levels of both elements being more common in the latter sub-group than the former.
Conclusion: Two very elements namely calcium and magnesium are significantly lowered in hypothyroid individuals more so in primary than in subclinical hypothyroidism. Hence, supplementation with these elements along with rectification of their thyroid function may be of immense benefit to such individuals.
