ESPE Abstracts

Key Words: obesity, subclinical hypothyroidism, children

Introduction: There is a growing interest in the relationship between obesity and thyroid dysfunction, even more so nowadays when obesity has become a widespread global issue. Initially believed to be the cause of obesity, the risk of developing hypothyroidism may be increased in obese children due to adaptive mechanisms. The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of hypothyroidism in obese children.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted over a period of three years and included 183 children diagnosed with obesity who were admitted to the endocrinology department of the "Louis Țurcanu" Children's Clinical and Emergency Hospital in Timișoara, Romania. Obesity was defined using age-specific Body Mass Index (BMI) reference guidelines from the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Child Growth Charts. Subclinical hypothyroidism was defined as TSH values above 3.59 µU/mL, according to the normal reference ranges provided by the hospital’s clinical laboratory, with normal T4 levels. The Excel 2019 Analysis Tool Pak was used for data analysis.

Results: Patients included in the study had a mean age of 11.6 years and a BMI mean of 30.86 kg/m²; the male to female ratio was 1.2:1. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was 14.2% (26 patients), and four of these patients (15.4%) also had elevated anti-thyroid antibodies. The mean TSH level was 4.63 µU/mL among children with hypothyroidism and 2.04 µU/mL in children with normal thyroid function. Structural changes of the thyroid were detected by ultrasound in five patients (19.2%).

Conclusion: Evaluating thyroid function in obese children can help identify the presence of underlying subclinical hypothyroidism. As weight loss can lead to the normalization of TSH levels in some individuals with obesity-related hypothyroidism, future prospective studies are needed to monitor these patients. However, it is important to note that weight loss may not be effective in all cases of hypothyroidism, and that medication may still be necessary to manage the condition.