New Delhi, July 6 (IANS): Men in the age group of 31-45 years are at greater risk of thyroid dysfunction, a study says.

The study conducted by SRL Diagnostics said that currently 22.68 percent of Indians already are afflicted by thyroid dysfunction, and suffer from health problems including heart diseases and infertility.

"In India, East zone has highest percentage of thyroid abnormality with 25.2 percent while northern and western zones have 23.9 percent and 21.1 percent. Among the four zones, southern India showed the lowest percentage of abnormality at 19.4 percent," said the survey conducted over a period of three years 2012-14.

The study highlighted that hypothyroidism, an iodine deficient disorders (IDDs), is highly prevalent in India with one out of 10 people in the country being diagnosed with the condition.

About 200 million people suffer from thyroid disorders worldwide, of whom 42 million are in India.

"There is a significant need for reaching out and making people aware of the causes, symptoms, treatment and importance of testing for thyroid problems," said B.R. Das, president of Research and Innovation at SRL Diagnostics.

Problems associated with abnormal production of thyroid hormones continue to grow significantly and awareness about the disease in the country among men remains shockingly low, he added.

A recent survey conducted by Indian Thyroid Society depicts awareness for the disease ranked ninth as compared to other common ailments such as asthma, cholesterol problem, depression, diabetes, insomnia and heart problem.

The study results also call for an emphasis on active screening of endocrine function among patients at greater risk along with regular monitoring of thyroid status and dose adjustments to provide effective therapy.