Clinical Outcomes
of Hypothyroidism during Pregnancy in Arar, Saudi Arabia
Kizilbash Nadeem, Suhail Nida, Aftab Tehreem, Mohan Rao S. Anil, Hafiz N. Mariah
and Alswilmy Methwied Shuruq
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(6); 1-5;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/206rjbt0105; (2025)
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is a disorder characterized by reduced thyroid gland activity, which
can manifest during pregnancy. If left untreated, maternal hypothyroidism may lead
to impaired fetal growth, neuro-cognitive deficits, or congenital iodine deficiency
syndrome due to inadequate thyroid hormone availability. This study aimed to identify
the clinical outcomes of hypothyroidism in pregnant females. This cross-sectional
study included 53 female patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism who attended the
outpatient clinics at Central Hospital and Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa’ad Hospital
in Arar, Saudi Arabia, between January 2023 and June 2023. Blood samples were collected
to assess thyroid hormone levels, lipid profile, hemoglobin, serum calcium, serum
phosphate and vitamin D. The obtained laboratory parameters were analyzed for their
correlation with thyroid hormone levels.
Hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, hypovitaminosis D and elevated lipid levels (TAG,
cholesterol and LDL-C) were observed in all the female subjects. The prevalence
of anemia among the hypothyroid patients was 58.49%. The correlation analysis demonstrated
a significant positive correlation of TSH with cholesterol (r=0.318, p=0.02) and
LDL-C (r=0.346, p=0.011) and a significant negative correlation with hemoglobin
(r= -0.273, p=0.047). FT4 was found to have a significant negative correlation with
cholesterol (r= -0.348, p=0.01) and significant positive correlation with hemoglobin
(r=0.282, p=0.04). The study found a high prevalence of hypothyroidism among pregnant
women in Arar (mean age: 41.62 years). Common symptoms included fatigue, weight
gain, constipation and abdominal pain along with edema, dry skin, pallor, bradycardia
and anemia. Hypothyroidism was linked to dyslipidemia, with elevated total cholesterol,
LDL-C and triglycerides and reduced HDL-C, posing a risk for atherosclerosis and
coronary artery disease.
