A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY TO EVALUATE SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Sanjeev Kumar and Ashima Badyal*

ABSTRACT

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation due to the failure of ovarian follicular development. 51is the mean age of menopause, but can vary from 45-55 yrs. Subclinical hypothyroidism is diagnosed when serum TSH is more than 6.8 mIU/ml and serum T3, T4 are normal. Women are far more likely than men to be afflicted with thyroid problems. The study was therefore conducted in the Department of medicine in collaboration with Department of Biochemistry, super speciality hospital GMC, Jammu. Out of a total of 1500 admitted patients, 450 females of more than 45 yrs of age, having attained menopause, selected randomly for this study. 2ml of venous blood was collected from ante cubital vein under aseptic conditions from each individual with her consent, duly following the guidelines and norms of the hospital. Whole blood specimen was analyzed via automated chemiluminescent micro-particle immunoassay (cmiatechnology, ARCHIECT TSH assay). About 24% of postmenopausal women were found with subclinical hypothyroidism, out of which 10% women were in the age group of 45-55 yrs and 14% women were above 55 years of age, having subclinical hypothyroidism with mean serum TSH levels (8.33±1.2) mlU/ml & (9.70±1.47) mlU/ml respectively

Keywords: Post Menopause, Subclinical Hypothyroidism, chemiluminescence.