The Study
Effect of hypothyroidism on insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in dogs.
This study compares two groups of dogs — some with low thyroid function and some without — to see how their bodies handle sugar. It shows a link between low thyroid activity and changes in how insulin works, but it can't prove that one causes the other.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Dogs with a slow thyroid gland don’t use insulin as well, so their bodies make more insulin to keep sugar levels normal. They also have more belly fat and higher levels of growth hormones, but their stress hormone levels stay the same.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 58 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This helps explain how thyroid problems might affect sugar balance in dogs, which could matter if they also have diabetes.
- 2Hypothyroid dogs had lower insulin sensitivity, higher insulin response, more GH and IGF-1, and more belly fat.
- 3Overall sugar control was the same as healthy dogs.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
American journal of veterinary research
Year
2012
Authors
N. Hofer-Inteeworn, D. Panciera, W. E. Monroe, K. Saker, R. H. Davies, K. Refsal, J. Kemnitz
Related Content
Claims (5)
Dogs with an underactive thyroid tend to have more belly fat, which might make their bodies less responsive to insulin, but their stress hormone levels don’t seem to go up.
Dogs with artificially lowered thyroid function become less responsive to insulin, so their bodies make more insulin to keep blood sugar under control.
Dogs with artificially lowered thyroid levels still process sugar normally, and their insulin system works just as well as healthy dogs.
Dogs with an underactive thyroid might have higher levels of certain growth hormones, which could make their bodies less responsive to insulin.
When your thyroid slows down, your body might boost another hormone called cortisol to help keep your energy, blood sugar, and body temperature stable.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.