Thyroid Disease and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background and Objectives: Thyroid disease has been associated with autoimmune disorders. As systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with diverse manifestations spanning across all organ systems, the relationship of SLE with thyroid disorders needs investigation. In particular, the relationship of SLE with autoimmune thyroid disease has attracted the interest of the research community. The aim was to evaluate the relationship of SLE with autoimmune thyroid disease. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 45 consecutive patients with a mean age of 47.97 years (range 21-79 years) and 45 age- and sex-matched controls were prospectively studied over a period of 12 months for the presence of thyroid disease and the prevalence of antithyroid antibodies. Results: Four patients (8.9%) were found to suffer from primary hypothyroidism, five (11.11%) from subclinical hypothyroidism and one (2.22%) from hyperthyroidism, whereas one (2.22%) of the controls had primary hypothyroidism and one (2.22%) had hyperthyroidism. Five patients (11.11%) had a thyroid hormone profile that was compatible with the presence of euthyroid sick syndrome. Thyroid peroxidase (TPOab) and thyroglobulin (Tgab) antibodies were detected in 20/45 and 15/45 of the SLE population and in 7/45 and 5/45 of the controls, respectively (p < 0.05, chi-square test). Conclusions: In conclusion, the incidence of clinical thyroid disease is greater amongst SLE patients than in a control population, and in a significant number of these patients, antithyroid antibodies are detectable. Thus, a subset of lupus patients appears to be predisposed to the development of thyroid disease, and this should be considered when evaluating patients with SLE.

Prevalence of chronic diseases and morbidity in primary health care in central Greece: an epidemiological study.

BACKGROUND: In Greece there is lack of large epidemiological studies regarding morbidity and mortality in primary health care. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence and morbidity of the most common diseases in a large population sample from primary health care. METHODS: Four primary health centres were randomly selected. During one year period, 12 visits were performed in each centre, one per month, in random order and all visitors willing to participate in the study were included. Data on morbidity of each subject were recorded after performing an interview with the participant and checking his medical records, medical history and current medication. Diseases were coded using the international classification of primary care (ICPC) system. RESULTS: In total 20,299 subjects were recorded. The results revealed significant variations in morbidity between genders and age groups. However, in all age groups, diseases of the circulatory system were most prevalent, followed by endocrine, metabolic, musculoskeletal and respiratory diseases. Osteoporosis was significantly more prevalent in females compared to males, whereas skin and eye disorders were more prevalent in subjects below 65 years old. COPD prevalence was very low compared to worldwide data. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed great variations in the prevalence of the diseases between genders and age groups. Our data justify the urgent need for the development of electronic health records that may help in the design of new prevention strategies in primary health care.