Thyroid nodules (TNs) are a common thyroid disorder that can be caused by many factors. Several studies have investigated the relationship between TNs and metabolic syndrome (MetS), but the role of sex and age remains controversial. The purpose of this paper was to analyze published data from all relevant studies to reliably estimate the relationship between TNs and MetS.

Thirteen articles were included in this study; articles were identified by searching for publications until July 2021 in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and the Web of Science. The outcomes are presented as the summary odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) and the pooled prevalence and 95% CI.

The TNs prevalence was significantly higher in MetS patients than in controls (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.42-2.50, P < 0.0001) and was independent of sex (male: OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.20-1.94, P = 0.0006; female: OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.54-2.33, P < 0.00001; combined: OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.31-3.25, P = 0.002) and age (< 40 years old: OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.39-1.89, P < 0.0001; 40~50 years old: OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.49-3.08, P < 0.0001;50~60 years old: OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08-2.07, P = 0. 01; 60 years old: OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.36-2.14, P < 0.00001); the pooled TNs prevalence in MetS patients was 45% (95% CI 36-54%). However, it has not yet been considered that MetS is related to TNs in people with iodine deficiency (OR 3.14, 95% CI 0.92-10.73, P = 0.07).

The meta-analysis results showed a strong correlation between TNs and MetS. Both male and female patients with MetS had an increased TNs prevalence. In addition, the prevalence was independent of age. However, MetS is not considered to be associated with TNs in iodine-deficient populations.

甲状腺结节 (TNs) 是一种常见的甲状腺疾病，可由多种因素引起。几项研究调查了 TN 与代谢综合征 (MetS) 之间的关系，但性别和年龄的作用仍存在争议。本文的目的是分析所有相关研究的已发表数据，以可靠地估计 TNs 和 MetS 之间的关系。

本研究纳入了 13 篇文章；通过在 PubMed、EMBASE、Cochrane 图书馆和 Web of Science 中搜索截至 2021 年 7 月的出版物来确定文章。结果以汇总优势比 (OR) 和 95% 置信区间 (CI) 以及汇总患病率和 95% CI 的形式呈现。

MetS 患者的 TNs 患病率显着高于对照组（OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.42-2.50, P < 0.0001）并且与性别无关（男性：OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.20-1.94, P = 0.0006；女性：OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.54-2.33, P < 0.00001；综合：OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.31-3.25, P = 0.002）和年龄（< 40 岁：OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.39-1.89, P < 0.0001；40~50 岁：OR 2.14，95% CI 1.49-3.08，P < 0.0001；50~60 岁：OR 1.50，95% CI 1.08-2.07，P = 0. 01；60 岁：OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.36-2.14, P < 0.00001); MetS 患者中合并的 TNs 患病率为 45% (95% CI 36-54%)。然而，尚未认为 MetS 与碘缺乏患者的 TN 相关（OR 3.14，95% CI 0.92-10.73，P = 0.07）。

荟萃分析结果显示 TNs 和 MetS 之间存在很强的相关性。男性和女性 MetS 患者的 TNs 患病率均有所增加。此外，患病率与年龄无关。然而，MetS 不被认为与碘缺乏人群中的 TN 相关。