SRL Diagnostics, recently conducted a three-year long data mining survey (2012 – 2014) which revealed increasing numbers of urban men are detected with thyroid disorders in the recent times. Thyroid disorders, which are most commonly associated with women, are affecting men as well with serious consequences leading to heart problems, mental health issues, infertility etc.

Hypothyroidism, categorised under the cluster of iodine deficient disorders (IDDs), is highly prevalent in India with one out of 10 people in the country being diagnosed with the condition. It has been estimated that about 200 million people suffer from thyroid disorders worldwide and amongst those 42 million are in India.

Thyroid diseases are different from other diseases in terms of their ease of diagnosis, accessibility of medical treatment, and the relative visibility that even a small swelling of the thyroid offers to the treating physician. Early diagnosis and treatment remain the cornerstone of management. Even as problems associated with abnormal production of thyroid hormones continues to grow significantly, awareness about the disease in the country among men remains shockingly low.

Of the 14, 24,008 screened for the study by SRL, 22.68 per cent, of the total samples were found with abnormal TSH levels. The younger population within the age group of 31-45 years was at higher risk of thyroid dysfunction (30.33 per cent of the samples) than the older population within the age group of 46-60 years (25.81 per cent of the samples). The analysis showed the highest prevalence of the disease among men in the eastern zone of the country.

East zone had highest percentage of abnormality with 25. 2 per cent while northern and western zone had 23.9 per cent and 21.1 per cent respectively. Among the four zones, southern India showed the lowest percentage of abnormality with 19.4 per cent.

Dr B R Das, president - research and innovation, mentor - molecular pathology and clinical research service of SRL Diagnostics says, “There is a significant need for reaching out and making people aware of the causes, symptoms, treatment and importance of testing for thyroid problems. SRL Diagnostics' in-house data analysis on thyroid tests assesses the nationwide abnormalities in test results in men residing in various cities that represent diverse geographic origin, occupation, socio-economic status and food habits. ”

A recent survey conducted by Indian Thyroid Society depicts awareness for the disease ranked ninth as compared to other common ailments such as asthma, cholesterol problem, depression, diabetes, insomnia and heart problem.The prevalence of hypothyroidism in the developed world is estimated to be about 4-5 per cent. According to the survey, the disease is more prevalent between the age group of 46-54 years.

The symptoms of the disease are often confused with other disorders, thus making thyroid one of the most under-diagnosed with no permanent cure disorders in India. However, with medication and proper treatment, thyroid can be controlled thereby helping patients to lead normal lives. The study findings call for an emphasis on active screening of endocrine function among patients at greater risk along with regular monitoring of thyroid status and dose adjustments to provide effective therapy in patients with established diagnosis. Thyroid abnormalities are diagnosed by measuring the status of thyroid hormones – serum FT3, FT4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).