Thyroid Function Tests in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Attending Dialysis Unit in Delta State, South South Nigeria

Thyroid dysfunction is a common but often underdiagnosed complication of chronic kidney disease, resulting from alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism, binding, and excretion. This study assessed thyroid function in patients with chronic kidney disease attending the dialysis unit of Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Abraka, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 chronic kidney disease patients on maintenance haemodialysis and 50 age-matched healthy controls. Fasting serum samples were analysed for thyroid-stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Kidney function markers including serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate were obtained from patient records. Thyroid dysfunction was detected in 43.0% of chronic kidney disease patients. Low free triiodothyronine syndrome was the most prevalent pattern at 27.0%. Hypothyroidism was found in 12.0% and subclinical hypothyroidism in 8.0% of patients. Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels showed an inverse relationship with eGFR. Duration of dialysis was positively correlated with severity of thyroid dysfunction. Controls showed no significant thyroid abnormalities. The study recommends routine thyroid function screening as part of the clinical assessment of all chronic kidney disease patients, particularly those on long-term dialysis, to identify and manage concurrent thyroid disorders that may exacerbate renal and cardiovascular morbidity. Keywords: thyroid function, chronic kidney disease, haemodialysis, hypothyroidism, Delta State