Thyroid Awareness Month 2003
Facts About Thyroid Disease
Who has Thyroid Disease?
- 27 million Americans have thyroid disorders (overactive or underactive thyroid), but more than half still remain undiagnosed1 .
- More than 8 out of 10 patients with thyroid disease are women2.
- Women are 5 times more likely than men to suffer from hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)3 .
- Fifty percent of thyroid disease patients' offspring will inherit the thyroid disease gene4.
- Fifteen to 20 percent of people with diabetes and their siblings or parents are at a greater risk of presenting with thyroid disease (compared to 4.5 percent of the general population)5.
The Thyroid Gland
- The thyroid gland is the small, butterfly-shaped gland found just below the Adam's apple6.
- The thyroid gland produces hormones that influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in the body7. In short, if the thyroid doesn't work properly, neither do you.
- If left untreated, thyroid disease can cause elevated cholesterol levels and subsequent heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, osteoporosis and, in extreme cases, coma or death7.
Hypothyroidism & Pregnancy
- Nearly 1 out of 50 women in the U.S. is diagnosed with hypothyroidism during pregnancy8.
- Six out of every 100 miscarriages can be attributed to thyroid deficiency during pregnancy9.
- Five to 18 percent of women are diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis10.
- Approximately 25 percent of women will develop permanent hypothyroidism11.
Hypothyroidism & Aging
- Incidence of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) increases with age12.
- By age 60, as many as 17 percent of women and 9 percent of men have an underactive thyroid13.
Thyroid Disease & Children
- One out of every five-thousand babies born in the U.S. has hypothyroidism14.
- Undiagnosed hypothyroid children will experience slowed growth rate15.
- Additional symptoms include sluggishness, pallor, dry and itchy skin, increased sensitivity to cold and constipation16.
Common Symptoms of Hypothyroidism17
| Fatigue | Mood swings |
| Forgetfulness | Weight gain |
| Depression | Hoarse voice |
| Heavy menses | Dry, coarse skin |
| Dry, coarse hair | Constipation |
Common Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism
| Heat intolerance, sweating | Menstrual disturbance |
| Weight loss | Impaired fertility |
| Alterations in appetite | Mental disturbances |
| Frequent bowel movements | Sleep disturbances |
| Changes in vision | Tremors |
| Fatigue and muscle weakness | Thyroid enlargement |
1Ridgway, C., The Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study, Arch of Int Med, Vol.160 No.4, Feb. 28, 2000
2The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition Whitehouse Station, NJ, 1995-2002, Section 13 Hormonal Disorders, Chapter 145
3Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 217)
4Dayan CM, Daniels GH Chronic Autoimmune Thyroiditis, NEJM 335: 2 99-107, 1996
5Adams A Walston J Silver K Autoimmune Disease Risk in Families with Type 1 Diabetes, www.genetichealth.com 10/27/01
6Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 3)
7Singer, P.A. Treatment Guidelines for Patients With Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism, JAMA 1995: 273: 808-812.
8Haddow, J. E. Maternal Thyroid Deficiency During Pregnancy and Subsequent Neuropsychological Development of the Child, NEJM 341: 549-555: 1999
9Allan, W.C. Maternal Thyroid Deficiency and Pregnancy Complications: Implications for Population Screening, J Med Screen 2000: 7: 127-130
10Rosenthal, M.S. The Thyroid Sourcebook, Lowell House, Los Angeles, 1996 (pp. 37-38)
11Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 175)
12Ladenson, P.W. American Thyroid Association Guidelines for Detection of Thyroid Dysfunction, Arch Intern Med 2000: 160: 1573-75
13Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 179)
14Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 157-158)
15Rosenthal, M. Sara The Thyroid Sourcebook, Lowell House, Los Angeles, 1996 (pp. 142-143)
16Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 159-61)
17AACE Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Evaluation and Treatment of Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism, Endocrine Practice, Vol. 8, No. 6, Nov/Dec 2002
2The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition Whitehouse Station, NJ, 1995-2002, Section 13 Hormonal Disorders, Chapter 145
3Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 217)
4Dayan CM, Daniels GH Chronic Autoimmune Thyroiditis, NEJM 335: 2 99-107, 1996
5Adams A Walston J Silver K Autoimmune Disease Risk in Families with Type 1 Diabetes, www.genetichealth.com 10/27/01
6Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 3)
7Singer, P.A. Treatment Guidelines for Patients With Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism, JAMA 1995: 273: 808-812.
8Haddow, J. E. Maternal Thyroid Deficiency During Pregnancy and Subsequent Neuropsychological Development of the Child, NEJM 341: 549-555: 1999
9Allan, W.C. Maternal Thyroid Deficiency and Pregnancy Complications: Implications for Population Screening, J Med Screen 2000: 7: 127-130
10Rosenthal, M.S. The Thyroid Sourcebook, Lowell House, Los Angeles, 1996 (pp. 37-38)
11Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 175)
12Ladenson, P.W. American Thyroid Association Guidelines for Detection of Thyroid Dysfunction, Arch Intern Med 2000: 160: 1573-75
13Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 179)
14Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 157-158)
15Rosenthal, M. Sara The Thyroid Sourcebook, Lowell House, Los Angeles, 1996 (pp. 142-143)
16Wood, L.C. Your Thyroid: A Home Reference Ballantine Books, New York, 1995 (pp. 159-61)
17AACE Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Evaluation and Treatment of Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism, Endocrine Practice, Vol. 8, No. 6, Nov/Dec 2002
Previous Thyroid Awareness Month Campaigns
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2007 How's Your Thyroid - Who needs to know?
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2006 A Thyroid Imbalance? Target Your Numbers
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2005 A Healthy Thyroid: You Make The Difference
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2004 Take Control of Your Health: Keep Your Thyroid in Balance
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2003 Thyroid Undercover Hiding in Plain Sight
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2002 The Necks Generation
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2001 The Necks Time is Now Think Thyroid
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2000 Take Cholesterol by the Neck
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1999 Thyroid: The Missing T in HRT
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1998 When the Blues Hit
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1997 1995 Not available on AACE Online