August 24, 2026 Thesis Open Access

BY: Dr. Worku Wegayehu (MD)

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  <dc:creator>BY: Dr. Worku Wegayehu (MD)</dc:creator>
  <dc:date>2026-08-24</dc:date>
  <dc:description>ABSTRACT

Introduction: Toxic goiter is a common endocrine disorder requiring long-term anti-thyroid drug therapy, yet evidence on time to biochemical euthyroidism and its predictors is limited in resource-limited settings. This study aimed to determine time to biochemical euthyroidism and its predictors among patients with toxic goiter treated with anti-thyroid drugs at Wallaga University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.

Methods: A five-year retrospective cohort study was conducted using 120 patient records selected from 143 eligible cases between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2025. Data were collected using a structured checklist via Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 27. The Kaplan–Meier survival curve with log-rank test was used to compare differences in time to biochemical euthyroidism across categorical variables. Variables with a p-value &lt;0.25 in bivariable analysis were entered into the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. The proportional hazards assumption was assessed using Schoenfeld residuals and log-minus-log survival plots, and no significant violation was observed. Model fitness was evaluated using the Cox–Snell residual goodness-of-fit test, which indicated that the final model adequately fitted the data. Statistical significance was declared at p &lt; 0.05.

Results: The response rate was 83.9%. The mean age of participants was 38.6 ± 12.4 years. The median time to biochemical euthyroidism was 6 months, based on Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Rural residence (AHR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.92) and higher baseline FT4 levels (AHR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.98) were significantly associated with delayed time to euthyroidism.

Conclusion and recommendation: Although a substantial proportion achieved euthyroidism early, variability in response resulted in a broader distribution of time to normalization. Rural residence and higher baseline FT4 levels were significant predictors of delayed response. Strengthening early diagnosis, improving follow-up systems, and enhancing rural healthcare access are essential to improve treatment outcomes.

 

 

Keywords: Toxic goiter, biochemical euthyroidism, survival analysis, Ethiopia

 

 

 </dc:description>
  <dc:identifier>https://zenodo.org/record/25793</dc:identifier>
  <dc:identifier>10.20372/nadre:25793</dc:identifier>
  <dc:identifier>oai:zenodo.org:25793</dc:identifier>
  <dc:relation>doi:10.20372/nadre:25792</dc:relation>
  <dc:relation>url:https://nadre.ethernet.edu.et/communities/20-25</dc:relation>
  <dc:rights>info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess</dc:rights>
  <dc:title>PREDICTORS OF TIME TO BIOCHEMICAL EUTHYROIDISM IN TOXIC GOITER PATIENTS TREATED WITH ANTI-THYROID DRUGS: A FIVE-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY</dc:title>
  <dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis</dc:type>
  <dc:type>publication-thesis</dc:type>
</oai_dc:dc>