Relationship Between Diabetes Mellitus And Thyroid Disease: Importance Of Screening

Abstract

Diabetes and thyroid disorders have been shown to mutually influence each other and associations between both conditions have long been reported. Thyroid dysfunction has been found to be chiefly hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Recent findings have evidenced the intricate bond between subclinical hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus that contributes to major complications such as retinopathy and neuropathy. Insulin resistance has also been shown to play an indispensable role in connecting type 2 diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction. Failure to recognize the presence of abnormal thyroid hormone levels in diabetes may be a primary cause of poor management sometimes encountered in some diabetics on treatment. This review seeks to bring to awareness of clinicians the evidence based relationship between diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction and need for early detection and management of both conditions.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus; thyroid dysfunction; relationship