Thyroid Hormone Reference Ranges in Iodine-Deficient Pregnant Women: An Analysis in Foothills of Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Establishing Trimester-Specific Reference Ranges in a Himalayan Iodine-Deficient Population

Abstract

Background: Thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy poses significant maternal and fetal health risks, particularly in iodine-deficient regions like the Himalayan foothills. Population-specific thyroid hormone reference ranges are essential for accurate diagnosis, yet limited data exists for iodine-deficient pregnant populations in India.

Aim & objective: To establish trimester-specific serum TSH reference ranges for pregnant women in the iodine-deficient Himalayan foothill districts of Uttarakhand.

Methodology: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at three major districts of Uttarakhand i.e. Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal and Pauri Garhwal from March 2020 to August 2023. A total of 544 pregnant women (181 first trimester, 181 second trimester, 182 third trimester) were recruited using systematic random sampling. Trimester-specific reference ranges were calculated using 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles.

Results: Mean TSH levels increased progressively across trimesters (2.18±1.34 to 3.42±1.89 mIU/L, p<0.001). Established reference ranges showed substantially higher TSH upper limits compared to international guidelines: first trimester (0.12-4.87 vs 0.1-2.5 mIU/L), representing 94.8% difference. Using international ranges, 50.2% of participants would be classified as having thyroid dysfunction compared to 30.3% using population-specific ranges, indicating potential 19.9% overdiagnosis.

Conclusion: This study establishes the first trimester-specific thyroid hormone reference ranges for pregnant women in the iodine-deficient Himalayan foothill region. The findings demonstrate significant differences from international standards, highlighting the critical importance of population-specific reference ranges to prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment in iodine-deficient populations.