Quality of life in patients with hypothyroidism

To assess the quality of life of patients with hypothyroidism and to compare with the QoL of patients with nodular goiter and people without thyroid disease. Thirty patients with compensated primary hypothyroidism (aged from 25 to 55 years), 28 patients with nodular (multinodular) euthyroid goiter of the same age not receiving levothyroxine, and 30 healthy people. The scores for the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and Beck Depression Inventory Scale were analyzed. Almost all scales of the questionnaire SF-36 (except for general health and role emotional functioning) in patients with compensated hypothyroidism were significantly lower (p < 0.05), than in healthy people. While comparing QoL in patients with hypothyroidism with QoL in patients with nodular goiter the rates of role physical functioning (p = 0.042), vitality (p = 0.015), social functioning (p = 0.0) and psychological health (p = 0.021) of patients with hypothyroidism were significantly less compared with patients with euthyroid goiter. In assessing the severity of depression revealed that the value on a scale of depression in patients with compensated hypothyroidism was significantly higher compared with the results of patients with nodular goiter and healthy individuals (p = 0.014). Conclusion: In patients with compensated hypothyroidism in almost all parameters the quality of life worse than in people without thyroid disease, and on many scales (role physical functioning, vitality, social functioning and psychological health) is worse than in patients with euthy-roid goiter. Severity of depression in patients with compensated hypothyroidism is higher compared to patients with nodular goiter and healthy people, which may be one of the reasons for the decrease of quality of life of these patients.

hypothyroidism, replacement therapy, levothyroxine, quality of life, depression

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