Association Between Hypothyroidism And Dementia: A Systematic Review

Dr Syed Kirmani; Dr Aisha Sheikh

doi:10.69980/ajpr.v28i5.388

Authors

Dr Syed Kirmani
Dr Aisha Sheikh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v28i5.388

Keywords:

Dementia, Thyroid abnormalities, Cognitive impairment

Abstract

Background: Dementia is a disabling syndrome of elderly population characterized by decline in memory, cognitive functions and behavioral changes, gravely reduces the quality of life. Thyroid hormones have vital importance for neural development and their dysfunction (deficiency or increase) can lead to changes in cognitive functions particularly memory decline.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using studies retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Google scholar, Science Direct, and Cochrane library, as well as manual retrieval of studies from the bibliographies of selected studies. Original studies published in English in last 20 years (2004-2024) were included. The extracted data was represented on a common form to describe the study setting, population, authors name, year of study, demographic and baseline characteristics of each study.

Results: This systematic review examined total Nine studies. Six out of nine studies showed a very strong and significant association between hypothyroidism and dementia. Three remaining studies were failed to show any association in between these two entities. There was female predominance in most of the studies. Results showed that the risk of dementia in hypothyroid individuals increased with increasing age and duration of hypothyroidism.

Conclusion: There is a strong association found in between hypothyroidism and dementia (cognitive decline) in most of the studies but still there is a need of large scale prospective randomized studies in future to establish this association.

Author Biographies

Dr Syed Kirmani

FRCP, Consultant Acute Medicine Acute Medicine Medway NHS Foundation Trust.UK

Dr Aisha Sheikh

FCPS Medicine Consultant Endocrinologist Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi

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