Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article
Low vitamin D levels are associated with cognitive impairment in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis
Published in: BMC Endocrine Disorders | Issue 1/2018
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Background
Cognitive impairment is commonly observed in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). Low levels of vitamin D have been correlated with cognitive impairment in non-HT population. We examined the association of vitamin D levels with cognitive impairment in patients with HT.
Methods
We recruited 194 patients with HT and 200 healthy volunteers. Levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using a competitive protein-binding assay. Cognitive funtion was assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (MoCA). Subjects with a MoCA scores < 26 are considered as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression models.
Results
Fifty-five HT patients (28.4%) were diagnosed as having MCI. Patients with MCI had significantly lower 25(OH)D levels when compared with patients without MCI (33.9 ± 6.2 vs. 44.3 ± 9.6 nmol/L, P < 0.001). Significant differences in 25(OH)D quartiles of HT patients were observed between the patients with MCI and the patients without MCI (P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, serum 25(OH)D levels (≤ 34.0 and ≥ 47.1 nmol/L) were significantly associated with cognitive impairment in patients with HT (OR 6.279, 95% CI 2.673–14.834, P < 0.001; OR 0.061, 95% CI 0.008–0.491, P = 0.009, respectively).
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate an important association between serum vitamin D levels and cognitive impairment in patients with HT.