Detection of Thyroid Nodule Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors in Southwest China: A Study of 45,023 Individuals Undergoing Physical Examinations

BACKGROUND: Thyroid nodules (TNs) are among the most common thyroid lesions, and rates of these nodules have risen over the past three decades. As the majority of TN patients remain asymptomatic when these nodules are in the early stages of development, malignant nodules may continue to develop into thyroid cancer when not detected. As such, early screening and diagnosis-based strategies represent the most promising means of preventing or treating TNs and associated cancers. The present study was thus developed to explore TN prevalence among individuals in Luzhou, China. METHODS: Here, thyroid ultrasonography and metabolic-related indicators from 45,023 adults undergoing routine physical examinations in the Health Management Center of a large Grade A hospital in Luzhou over the last three years were retrospectively reviewed in an effort to identify factors associated with TN risk and the detection of these nodules through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In total, 13,437 TNs were detected in these 45,023 healthy adults for an overall 29.8% detection rate. This TN detection rate rose with age, and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that independent risk factors associated with TNs included greater age (≥31 years old), female (OR = 2.283, 95% CI: 2.177–2.393), central obesity (OR = 1.115, 95% CI: 1.051–1.183), impaired fasting glucose (OR = 1.203, 95% CI: 1.063–1.360), overweight status (OR = 1.085, 95% CI: 1.026–1.147), and obesity (OR = 1.156, 95% CI: 1.054–1.268), while low BMI was a protective factor associated with lower rates of TN incidence (OR = 0.789, 95% CI: 0.706–0.882). When results were stratified by gender, impaired fasting glucose was not an independent predictor of TN risk among males, while high LDL levels were an independent predictor of TNs among females, and other risk factors were not significantly changed. CONCLUSION: TN detection rates were high among adults in Southwestern China. Female, elderly individuals, individuals exhibiting central obesity, and those with high levels of fasting plasma glucose are more likely to develop TN.