Prevalence of Electrocardiogram Alterations and Associated Factors among Thyroid Dysfunction Patients Attending Jimma Medical Center Follow Up Clinic, South West Ethiopia, 2021, Crossectional Study

Abstract

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is a metabolic manifestation related to either excessive or inadequate production of thyroid hormones (THs) by the thyroid gland. Several electrocardiogram alterations occur among thyroid dysfunction patients. These changes can be easily detected by simple investigative instruments like electrocardiographs to prevent complications in the later stages of the disease thereby reducing death and morbidity. Objective: The present study aimed to assess electrocardiogram alterations and associated factors among thyroid dysfunction patients. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 273 thyroid dysfunction patients attending Jimma Medical center follow-up clinic from October to December 2021. An electrocardiogram tool with 12 leads was used to assess cardiac status, and a structured questionnaire was also used to asses other variables. The collected data were checked for completeness, coded, and entered Epi-data version 4.6 before being exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Results: A total of 273 thyroid dysfunction patients were interviewed. The electrocardiogram alterations were identified among 185(67.8%) thyroid dysfunction patients. The most common types of ECG alterations were arrhythmia which accounted for (56%), followed by myocardial infarction (27.1%), hypertrophy of the heart chamber as left and right ventricular hypertrophy responsible for 7.3% and 5.5% respectively, enlargements of heart chamber as left atrial enlargement accounted 1%, axis deviation, and other abnormalities accounted 8.8% and 6.6% respectively. The identified predictor variables for the ECG alterations were participants with the age group of (41-60), females, diabetes mellitus, and, thyroid dysfunction patients who didn’t start treatment with antithyroid medication with their specific adjusted odds ratio and 95% CI of 2.5, (1.25-5.05), 2.7, (1.28–5.59), 4.25, (1.6–11.2) and, 8.6, (3.45–21.6) respectively. Conclusion: This study revealed that the prevalence of ECG alterations was high among thyroid dysfunction patients. Thyroid dysfunction patients with the age range of 41-60 years, females, diabetes mellitus, and those who didn’t start treatment with antithyroid medication were significantly associated with the ECG alterations.