The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2021, Vol. 106, No. 3, e1179–e1190
doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa927
Clinical Research Article
ISSN Print 0021-972X ISSN Online 1945-7197
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https://academic.oup.com/jcem e1179
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Clinical Research Article
MorbiNet Study: Hypothyroidism Comorbidity
Networks in the Adult General Population
Ferran Moratalla-Navarro,
1,2,3,4
Victor Moreno,
1,2,3,4
Flora López-Simarro,
5
and Alba Aguado
6
1
Oncology Data Analytics Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), 08908 Barcelona, Spain;
2
ONCOBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain;
3
CIBER
of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
4
Department of Clinical Sciences,
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, 08907 Barcelona,
Spain;
5
ABS Urban Martorell, Catalan Institute of Health, 08760 Martorell, Spain; and
6
CAP Sagrada
Familia, Consorci Sanitari Integral, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
ORCiD numbers: 0000-0001-7858-5713 (F. Moratalla-Navarro); 0000-0002-2818-5487 (V. Moreno); 0000-0001-9382-7506 (F.
López-Simarro); 0000-0002-5816-2243 (A. Aguado).
Abbreviations: ICPC-2, International Classification of Primary Care, 2nd edition; LASSO, least absolute shrinkage
and selection operator; OR, odds ratio; SIDIAP, Information System for Research Development in Primary Care; T3,
triiodothyronine; TSH, thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone).
Received: 29 September 2020; Editorial Decision: 8 December 2020; First Published Online: 14 December 2020; Corrected and
Typeset: 11 January 2021.
Abstract
Purpose: Multimorbidity impacts quality of life. We constructed hypothyroidism
comorbidity networks to identify positive and negative associations with other prevalent
diseases.
Methods: We analyzed data of 285 342 patients with hypothyroidism from 3 135 948
adults with multimorbidity in a population-based study in Catalonia, Spain, (period: 2006-
2017). We constructed hypothyroidism comorbidity networks using logistic regression
models, adjusted by age and sex, and for men and women separately. We considered
relevant associations those with odds ratios (OR) >1.2 or <0.8 and P value < 1e-5 to
identify coexistence greater (or smaller) than the expected by the prevalence of diseases.
Multivariate models considering comorbidities were used to further adjust OR values.
Results: The conditions associated included larynx cancer (adjusted OR: 2.48),
congenital anomalies (2.26), thyroid cancer (2.13), hyperthyroidism (1.66), vitamin B12/
folate defciency anemia (1.57), and goiter (1.56). The network restricted to men had
more connections (mental, cardiovascular, and neurological) and stronger associations
with thyroid cancer (7.26 vs 2.55), congenital anomalies (5.11 vs 2.13), hyperthyroidism
(4.46 vs 1.69), larynx cancer (3.55 vs 1.67), and goiter (3.94 vs 1.64). After adjustment for
comorbidities, OR values were more similar in men and women. The strongest negative
associations after adjusting for comorbidities were with HIV/AIDS (OR: 0.71) and tobacco
abuse (0.77).
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