Article

Hyperthyroidism is a pathologic condition in which the body is exposed to
excessive amounts of circulating thyroid hormones. Skeletal muscle is one of the
major target organs of thyroid hormones. We evaluated hand grip strength and
function in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. Fifty-one patients newly
diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and 44 healthy controls participated in this
study. Age, height, weight, and dominant hand of all participants were recorded.
The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was confirmed by clinical examination and
laboratory tests. Hand grip strength was tested at the dominant hand with a Jamar
hand dynamometer. The grooved pegboard test (PGT) was used to evaluate hand
dexterity. The Duruoz Hand Index (DHI) was used to assess hand function. No
significant differences were found in terms of clinical and demographic findings
between the patients with hyperthyroidism and healthy controls (p > 0.05).
Significant differences were found between the patients with hyperthyroidism and
healthy controls regarding PGT and DHI scores (p < 0.05). Hyperthyroidism seemed
to affect hand dexterity and function more than hand grip strength and seemed to
be associated with reduced physical function more than muscle strength. This may
also indicate that patients with hyperthyroidism should be evaluated by
multidisplinary modalities.

Langue : ANGLAIS