There is a growing urgency to create awareness of thyroid disorders as one in ten adults in India suffers from hypothyroidism, according to a study

carried out in the country on the endocrine disease.

It is estimated that approximately 42 million Indians suffer from thyroid related disorders of which 60 percent are women.

There is a growing urgency to create awareness of thyroid disorders as one in ten adults in India suffers from hypothyroidism, according to a study carried out in the country on the endocrine disease.

It is estimated that approximately 42 million Indians suffer from thyroid related disorders of which 60 percent are women.

Hypothyroidism is highly prevalent with one out of ten people being diagnosed with the condition. Hypothyroidism was found to be a common form of thyroid dysfunction affecting 10.95 percent of the study population. The older population above the age of 35 years seemed to be at higher risk of hypothyroidism than the younger population, according to the study assessing the prevalence of hypothyroidism in India conducted by Abbott India.

Women were three times more likely to be affected by hypothyroidism than men (15.86 percent vs. 5.02 percent), especially those in mid-life age between 46-54 years, the study said.

If left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause elevated cholesterol levels, an increase in blood pressure, an increased rate of cardiovascular complications, decreased fertility, and depression; and in pregnant women, placental abnormalities and increased risk for the baby’s well-being, it said.

Almost one-third of the hypothyroid patients (3.47 per cent) were not aware of the condition and were diagnosed for the first time during the course of study-related screening. Hypertension (20.4 percent) and diabetes mellitus (16.2 percent) were the other common diseases observed in the study population, the study said.

Inland cities namely Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad had higher prevalence of hypothyroidism (11.73 percent) compared to coastal cities like Chennai, Goa and Mumbai. Kolkata recorded the highest prevalence of hypothyroidism of 21.67 percent.

Approximately one-fifth of the study population had anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO) positivity, an established auto-immune marker pointing towards a steady risk of thyroid disorders,according to the study.

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