This study analyzed 526 patients with COVID-19 with hypothyroidism and 526 controls.
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Patients with hypothyroidism required less intensive care interventions.
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Patients with hypothyroidism showed a trend of lower in-hospital mortality.
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Hypothyroidism does not seem to be associated with a worse prognosis in COVID-19.
Abstract
Background
It is not clear whether previous thyroid diseases influence the course and outcomes of COVID-19.
Methods
The study is a part of a multicentric cohort of patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis from 37 hospitals. Matching for age, sex, number of comorbidities, and hospital was performed for the paired analysis.
Results
Of 7,762 patients with COVID-19, 526 had previously diagnosed hypothyroidism and 526 were matched controls. The median age was 70 years, and 68.3% were females. The prevalence of comorbidities was similar, except for coronary and chronic kidney diseases that were higher in the hypothyroidism group (p=0.015 and p=0.001). D-dimer levels were lower in patients with hypothyroid (p=0.037). In-hospital management was similar, but hospital length-of-stay (p=0.029) and mechanical ventilation requirement (p=0.006) were lower for patients with hypothyroidism. There was a trend of lower in-hospital mortality in patients with hypothyroidism (22.1% vs 27.0%; p=0.062).
Conclusion
Patients with hypothyroidism had a lower requirement of mechanical ventilation and showed a trend of lower in-hospital mortality. Therefore, hypothyroidism does not seem to be associated with a worse prognosis.