A high thyroid stimulating hormone level is associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes patients

- We performed a retrospective study consisted of 605 Chinese patients with T2DM to explore the relationship between TSH and DPN.
- TSH level was significantly and independently associated with DPN in patients with T2DM.
- The optimal cutoff point of TSH to indicate DPN was 3.045 mIU/L in men and 2.94 mIU/L in women.
- High serum TSH level may be a potential risk factor for DPN in Chinese population with T2DM.

AimThe association between thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is well known. However, whether TSH is related to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) has not been studied. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between TSH and DPN in Chinese patients with T2DM.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 605 patients with T2DM were enrolled. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) was defined as an elevated TSH level (>4.0 mIU/L) and a normal free thyroxine level. DPN was evaluated by neurological symptoms, neurological signs, and electromyogram.ResultsSerum TSH levels were significantly higher in DPN and signs of DPN compared with non-DPN T2DM patients (both P < 0.01).The prevalence of DPN and signs of DPN in SCH subjects was higher than that in euthyroid subjects (both P < 0.01). Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the serum TSH level was positively associated with DPN (r = 0.172, P < 0.01). A significant independent association between TSH and DPN was found by multiple logistic regression analysis after adjusting for potential confounding variables [odds ratio (OR) = 1.365, P < 0.01]. The patients were sequentially assigned to quartiles according to TSH level. Compared with quartile 1, patients in quartile 2 (P < 0.01), quartile 3 (P = 0.01), and quartile 4 (P < 0.01) had a higher risk of DPN. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff point of TSH to indicate DPN was 3.045 mIU/L in men and 2.94 mIU/L in women.ConclusionTSH level is independently associated with DPN in Chinese population with T2DM. A high serum TSH level may be a potential risk factor for DPN.