Long Term Effects of Thyrotoxicosis

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Jun 30, 2000

Thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism, Graves' Disease) has been considered a benign disease affecting only the thyroid gland and in some cases, the eyes. However, recent studies have shown that it may affect more body systems than originally thought. In a presentation to the 1999 American Thyroid Association meeting, Dr. Jayne Franklin discussed her findings from Birmingham, England.

Comparing death rates for those treated for thyrotoxicosis from 1950-1991, mean age at treatment was 57, with the general population, she found that the overall risk of cancer remained the same. Within that overall finding, there were some interesting differences. The thyroid cancer and small bowel cancer rates were 3 times larger, 9 of 7417 and 6 of 7417, respectively. Thyroid disease is often linked with autoimmune celiac disease, which could account for the increase of bowel cancers.

In addition to cancer deaths, her team found an overall 1.2% increase in the cardiovascular death rate. Of 7700 cases reviewed, 1258 died from heart-related conditions. Specifically, deaths from the following were increased:

Rhuematic heart disease 3.2%
Hypertension (high blood pressure) 2.1%
Ischemic heart disease (heart attack) 1.1%
Other 1.8%

All age groups appeared to be at risk. This could be related to the effect of elevated thyroid levels on the cardiovascular system.

While osteoporosis is not often considered serious, Dr. Franklin also found a 1.8% increase in hip fractures in women who had been treated for thyrotoxicosis.

What can you do about all this? Monitor your own well-being. Work closely with your healthcare provider to control other risk factors and monitor your thyroid levels. Monitor your own diet and exercise to further reduce cardiac risk. Look for ways to manage and reduce the level of stress in your life.

Suffice it to say, this is not a benign disease. It is often tied to other autoimmune diseases making treatment even more complex. Obviously, more research is needed to further determine the optimal treatment. Perhaps one day, thyroxine replacement will be monitored as closely as insulin is for diabetes.

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