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The prevalence of thyroid nodules and its relationship with metabolic parameters in a Chinese community-based population aged over 40 years

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Abstract

To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules (TN) among a community population aged >40 years and to explore the association between TN and its metabolic risk factors. Data from 9,533 adults aged over 40 years who participated in the epidemiological investigation of thyroid nodules in a Chinese community-based population from June to December 2011 were included in the analyses. We compared the levels of metabolic indices between the TN group and healthy controls. The prevalence of TN was 46.6 % (39.7 %, men; 50.3 %, women) and it increased significantly with increasing age (P < 0.001). It was significantly higher in the group with hypertension than in that with normotension (P < 0.001) and was 43.0 % in the normal blood glucose group, 49.4 % in the prediabetes group, and 50.9 % in the diabetes group (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that hypertension [odds ratio (OR) = 1.121 (1.025–1.225)] as well as prediabetes and diabetes [OR = 1.130 (1.036–1.233)] were all independent risk factors for TN after adjustment for sex, age, body mass index, blood lipid levels, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. The elderly population had a high prevalence of TN. Hypertension as well as prediabetes and diabetes might be independent risk factors for TN.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 81170726), Key Medical Talents from Jiangsu Provincial Health Bureau of China (Duanyu 2011), the Program for Development of Innovative Research Team in the First Affiliated Hospital of NJMU (20110312), and the Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions. We are grateful to all the participants and the medical staff in the study.

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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, 210029, China

    Hongwei Guo, Min Sun, Wei He, Huanhuan Chen, Wen Li, Jinmei Tang, Wei Tang, Tao Yang & Yu Duan

  2. Department of Endocrinology, Ruijin Hospital, Medical School of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200025, China

    Jieli Lu, Yufang Bi & Guang Ning

Authors
  1. Hongwei Guo
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  2. Min Sun
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  3. Wei He
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  4. Huanhuan Chen
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  5. Wen Li
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  7. Wei Tang
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  9. Yufang Bi
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  10. Guang Ning
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  11. Tao Yang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tao Yang or Yu Duan.

Additional information

Hongwei Guo and Min Sun are contributed equally to this study.

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Guo, H., Sun, M., He, W. et al. The prevalence of thyroid nodules and its relationship with metabolic parameters in a Chinese community-based population aged over 40 years. Endocrine 45, 230–235 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-013-9968-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-013-9968-0

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