Review paper
Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism in thyroid diseases

Homeostasis of metabolism of glucose depends on many factors, such as enteric glucose absorption, hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, intake of glucose by muscles, release of insulin by β cells of pancreatic islets and influence of hormones, which may cause diabetogenic results (cortisol, thyroid hormone). In the course of endocrinopathy, there may occur some disorders of carbohydrate metabolism which may cause the development of secondary diabetes. This type of diabetes usually characterizes moderate glucose disorders which seldom results in ketosis and partly or completely recedes after recuperation of the basic disease. It seems that one of the main causes of glycaemic disorders is the growth of insulin resistance, which is characteristic of overt hypothyreose as well as of overt thyrotoxicosis. The influence of the subclinical form is still a debatable issue. In the article, attention is paid to the possibilities of comorbidity of type 1 diabetes with other diseases related to autoimmune causes, including autoimmune thyroid diseases.