Prevalence Of Thyroid Nodules And Analysis Of The Related Factors Based On A Community Study In Beijing

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules (TN),epidemiological characteristics, nodule ultrasound imaging features among thecommunity population of Daxing district in Beijing, and to explore the associationbetween TN and some lifestyles and its metabolic risk factors.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in permanent residentsover18years of7random communities in Daxing district of Beijing from Augustto December2013. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of6,324people with an average age of52.15±11.58, including2,264cases of male and4,060cases of female were included in the analyses. The participants werescreened by a questionnaire, physical examination, thyroid ultrasound andlaboratory tests after signing the informed consent.Results:1.There were3,100cases of subjects with TN, and the overallprevalence of TN was49.0%.2. The prevalence of TN increased significantlywith increasing age (P<0.001).3. The prevalence of TN in females wassignificantly higher than that in males (52.5vs.42.7%, P<0.001), OR1.486(1.339-1.647).4. With rising education levels, the incidence of nodulessignificantly decreased (P<0.001).5. Each thyroid diameter and volume of the TNgroup were significantly larger than those of the group without TN (P<0.001).6.35.5%of TN were solitary, and64.5%were multiple.7. The prevalence of TN infemale smokers was significantly higher than that of female non-smokers(P<0.001), OR1.523(1.116-1.980).8. Drinking had no obvious correlation withthe incidence of nodules.9. No significant difference of the prevalence of noduleswas shown in various food taste groups (P=0.854).10.With the increase in thefrequency of eating seafood, the prevalence of nodules significantly decreased(P=0.015).11. With the decline of physical labor intensity, the prevalence ofnodules significantly increased (P<0.001).12. With the increase in sports intensity,the prevalence of nodules significantly decreased (P=0.009).13. With theincrease of weight class, the prevalence of nodules significantly increased (P=0.015).14. With the deterioration of glucose metabolism, the prevalence ofnodules significantly increased (P<0.001).15. With rising blood pressure levels,the prevalence of nodules significantly increased (P<0.001).16. No significantdifference of the prevalence of nodules was shown in the hyperuricemia groupand the normal uricemia group (P=0.07).17. The prevalence of TN in metabolicsyndrome (MS) group was significantly higher than that in non-MS group(P<0.001), OR1.479(1.334-1.640).18. By logistic regression analysis, age[OR=1.035(1.029-1.041), P<0.001], female [OR=1.845(1.558-2.184), P<0.001],smoking [OR=1.202(1.008-1.434), P=0.04], rising levels of obesity [OR=1.090(1.008-1.178), P=0.03], elevated blood pressure [OR=1.126(1.048-1.210),P=0.001] were the independent risk factors for TN.Conclusion: The prevalence of TN was49.0%(42.7%in men;52.5%inwomen) among community population in Daxing district of Beijing and itincreased significantly with increasing age. Aging, female, smoking,rising levels of obesity and elevated blood pressure might be the independent riskfactors for TN. The results of our study provide support for an associationbetween metabolic disease and the thyroid nodularity. The thyroid gland appearsto be another victim of the insulin resistance syndrome. Insulin resistance andother metabolic abnormality may become a new breakthrough in research onpathogenesis of TN, and the interaction needs to be further elucidated bybasic laboratory researches and clinical trials in order to provide a basis fordeveloping future prevention and treatment strategies of TN.