Association Between Hypothyroidism and Constipation: ACross-sectional Study From the PERSIAN Guilan Cohort Study

Background: thyroid disorders, particularly hypothyroidism, can affect the movement of thedigestive system. the aim of this study was to investigate the association between hypothyroidismand constipation.materials & methods: in this cross-sectional study that was conducted on the persian guilancohort study (pgcs), all individuals between the ages of 35 and 70 years, irrespective of gender,were included. the questionnaires were completed using dedicated online software that includeddemographic data, clinical characteristics, and nutritional information. hypothyroidism wasdefined based on taking levothyroxine medicine as stated by the patient and diagnosis of chronicconstipation was based on self-report. individuals were divided into two groups based on theirconstipation status and compared with respect to the desired variables. the relationship betweenhypothyroidism and constipation was examined using logistic regression analysis. odds ratio(or) and 95% confidence interval (ci) were calculated.results: the prevalence of hypothyroidism and constipation were 5.1% and 4.4% respectively,and both were more common in women than in men. in unadjusted model, there was nosignificant association between hypothyroidism and constipation (or=1.28, 95% ci, 0.88%,1.875%, p=0.201). similar result was obtained in fully adjusted model (or=1.03, 95% ci, 0.70–1.53, p=0.875).conclusion: there was no significant association between hypothyroidism and constipationin this study. since nutrition and the type of fruits and vegetables and the type of substancesconsumed have an effective role in eliminating constipation, we recommend that these items beconsidered in future studies.