Prevalence of hypothyroidism in rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation with disease activity

Objectives To analyse the prevalence of hypothyroidism in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to elucidate its correlation with disease activity. Methods A total of 52 RA patients were enrolled in this study. All patients were assessed fully clinically and underwent routine laboratory investigation including thyroid function testing. Results Hypothyroidism (defined as having a TSH level >4.20IU/mL) was observed in 20/52 (38.4%). Erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) were found significantly elevated in patients with hypothyroidism compared to those without (36.324.2 vs. 24.6 +/- 9.0mm/h). Disease activity parameters such as DAS-28-ESR, tender joint count; VAS scores were also significantly higher in the former. A significant correlation with serum TSH levels was observed with ESR and DAS-28-ESR. Conclusion Thyroid function test should be included in clinical evaluation of RA patients.