Table 1.
Clinical and laboratory data of all participants.
| OH | SCH | Control | Total | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 45 (33.8%) | n = 48 (36.1%) | n = 40 (30.1%) | n = 133 | ||
| Age (y), mean ± SD | 40.6 ± 13.9 | 30.7 ± 13.7 | 31.7 ± 13.7 | 34.3 ± 14.4 | .243 |
| Age groups, n (%) | |||||
| 12-19 y | 2 (4.4) | 11 (22.9) | 7 (17.5) | 20 (15) | |
| 20-39 y | 17 (37.8) | 27 (56.2) | 22 (55) | 66 (49.6) | |
| 40-59 y | 21 (46.7) | 8 (16.7) | 9 (22.5) | 38 (28.6) | |
| ⩾60 y | 5 (11.1) | 2 (4.2) | 2 (5) | 9 (6.8) | |
| Sex, n (%) | .165 | ||||
| Male | 7 (15.6) | 6 (12.5) | 11 (27.5) | 24 (18) | |
| Female | 38 (84.4) | 42 (87.5) | 29 (72.5) | 109 (82) | |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||||
| Diabetes | 3 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (2.3) | |
| Hypertension | 3 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 6 (15) | 9 (6.8) | |
| Others a | 1 (2.2) | 2 (4.2) | 7 (17.5) | 10 (7.5) | |
| All comorbidities | 7 (15.6) | 2 (4.2) | 13 (32.5) | 22 (16.5) | |
| Symptoms associated with PN b , n (%) | 15 (33.3) | 9 (18.8) | 2 (5) | 26 (19.5) | .004 |
| Examination findings associated with PN c , n (%) | 3 (6.7) | 6 (12.5) | 0 (0) | 9 (6.8) | .067 |
| Hemoglobin (NR, 120-150 g/L), mean ± SD | 127 ± 17 | 128 ± 18 | 131 ± 18 | 129 ± 18 | .519 |
| MCV (NR, 83-101 fL), mean ± SD | 83 ± 7 | 81 ± 7 | 82 ± 7 | 82 ± 7 | .389 |
| Anemia d , n (%) | 12 (26.7) | 12 (25) | 11 (27.5) | 35 (26.3) | .963 |
| TSH (NR, 0.3-4 mIU/L), median (IQR) | 3.1 (1.95-7) | 5.4 (3.54-7.15) | 2 (1.33-2.53) | 3.1 (1.85-5.58) | <.001 e |
| Free T4 (NR, 7.5-21.1 pmol/L), mean ± SD | 12.2 ± 3.32 | 10.9 ± 1.97 | 11.5 ± 1.4 | 11.5 ± 2.44 | .026 |
| Patients receiving levothyroxine replacement, n (%) | 42 (93.3) | 14 (29.2) | NA | ||
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; MCV, mean corpuscular volume; n, number; NA, not applicable; NR, normal range; OH, overt hypothyroidism; PN, peripheral neuropathy; SCH, subclinical hypothyroidism; SD, standard deviation; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone; T4, thyroxine.
Other comorbidity included: renal, respiratory, neurological, and autoimmune diseases.
Numbness, pain, or paresthesia in the lower limbs.
Peripheral sensory deficits, diminished deep tendon reflexes, and muscle weakness.
Number of anemic female patients in OH, SCH, and control groups was (12, 11, 9, respectively).
Post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference between the control group and both the OH group (P = .005) and the SCH group (P < .001).