Thyroid Function Status in Indian Adult Nonpregnant Females in Ranchi, India

Disorders of thyroid hormones are one of the most common endocrine diseases in India. Various studies projected that approximately 42 million population are affected by thyroid disorders in India.1 The prevalence and type of thyroid disorders depend on various factors like age, sex, ethnicity, geographical area, nutritional status, national policies, health care delivery system, and drug intake. Especially, the level of iodine intake in food is closely associated with pattern of thyroid disorders.2,3 The prevalence of thyroid disorders, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, is more common in women than in men.4 Clinical and subclinical forms of thyroid hormone disorders can contribute to morbidity in the form of infertility, menstrual irregularities, osteoporosis, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, cardiovascular, and neuropsychiatry disease in female population.5,6 In this postiodization era when India is transforming from iodine-deficient to iodine sufficient stage, there is paucity of pan-Indian data of thyroid disorder status among women.7 There are only few comparable data available from Jharkhand. We undertook this study to provide data for total triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in women of this region and evaluate their status of thyroid function.