Rheumatoid Arthritis patients linked with high risk of developing Thyroid Dysfunction

CHINA: A research published in Frontiers in Endocrinology found that, people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher chance of developing thyroid malfunction, particularly hypothyroidism.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition. Extra-articular clinical signs are common in patients with RA. It has been observed that RA may be connected to a number of autoimmune conditions, including thyroid problems. Several studies have looked into the possibility of thyroid malfunction in RA patients; however they have come to different conclusions.

"The majority of thyroid illnesses and rheumatoid arthritis are chronic conditions, and regrettably, in the absence of biochemical tests for thyroid function, early symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are frequently obscured by the clinical presentations of other diseases," the investigators asserted.

"If undetected or untreated, thyroid dysfunction can be harmful to health, have major negative effects, and in rare circumstances, prove fatal," they continued.

The goal of the study was to ascertain whether thyroid dysfunction is more likely in RA patients.

For this purpose, a systemic review and meta-analysis of online literature utilizing PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus from the beginning to March 25, 2022, was carried out. Studies that met the criteria included information on 1 or more instances of thyroid dysfunction in RA patients and controls. In both RA patients and non-RA patients, researchers looked at pooled odds ratios (ORs) and the accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for thyroid dysfunction. A total of 35,708 RA patients were included in twenty-nine studies that matched the inclusion criteria.

Major findings of the study:

• When compared to individuals without RA, those with RA had a higher likelihood of developing thyroid dysfunction, notably hypothyroidism (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.78-2.84) and subclinical hypothyroidism (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.32-3.61).
• RA patients also had a greater risk of developing hyperthyroidism when compared to control groups (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.24-2.19).
• When compared to controls, people with RA had a risk of subclinical hyperthyroidism that was more than twice as high (OR 2.13, 95%CI 1.25-3.63).
• Additional subgroup analysis revealed that the control group's sample source and study type were the sources of heterogeneity.

According to the researchers' observations, rheumatologists should examine the thyroid function of RA patients and refer them to endocrinologists for advice on the best ways to prevent and manage thyroid dysfunction.

Additionally, as the majority of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) that result in thyroid dysfunction may share a pathophysiology with RA, there may be similar therapy possibilities. Future research should examine additional potential causes and therapeutic possibilities, they concluded.

REFERENCE

Liu YJ, Miao HB, Lin S, Chen Z. Association between rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid dysfunction: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:1015516. Published 2022 Oct 13. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1015516