Vitamin D and thyroid disorders: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of observational studies

Taheriniya et al., 2021 | BMC Endocr Disord | Meta Analysis

Citation

Taheriniya Sorour, Arab Arman, ... Askari Gholamreza. Vitamin D and thyroid disorders: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of observational studies. BMC Endocr Disord. 2021-Aug-21;21(1):171. doi:10.1186/s12902-021-00831-5

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The contribution of vitamin D to thyroid disorders has received paramount attention; however, results are mixed. Hence, we designed a systematic review and meta-analysis to obtain a definitive conclusion. METHODS: The search included PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases up to March 2021 to collect available papers reporting the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and thyroid disorders. The pooled effect was reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Out of 6123 datasets, 42 were eligible to get into this systematic review and meta-analysis. Serum vitamin D was markedly lower in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) (WMD - 3.1 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 5.57 to - 0.66; P = 0.013; I2 = 99.9%), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (WMD - 6.05 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 8.35 to - 3.75; P < 0.001; I2 = 91.0%) and hypothyroidism patients (WMD - 13.43 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 26.04 to - 0.81; P = 0.03; I2 = 99.5%), but not in subjects with Graves' disease (GD) (WMD - 4.14 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 8.46 to 0.17; P = 0.06; I2 = 97.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested lower vitamin D levels in patients with hypothyroidism, AITD, and HT compared to healthy subjects. However, the link between serum vitamin D and GD was only significant among subjects ≥40 years old.

Key Findings

Out of 6123 datasets, 42 were eligible to get into this systematic review and meta-analysis. Serum vitamin D was markedly lower in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) (WMD - 3.1 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 5.57 to - 0.66; P = 0.013; I2 = 99.9%), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (WMD - 6.05 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 8.35 to - 3.75; P < 0.001; I2 = 91.0%) and hypothyroidism patients (WMD - 13.43 ng/dl; 95% CI, - 26.04 to - 0.81; P = 0.03; I2 = 99.5%), but not in subjects with Graves' disease (GD) (WMD - 4.14 ng/dl; 95% CI

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population graves
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Observational Studies as Topic
  • Thyroid Diseases
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin D Deficiency

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-d

Provenance


Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09