Prevalence of thyroid disease, thyroid dysfunction and thyroid peroxidase antibodies in a large, unselected population. The Health Study of Nord-Trondelag (HUNT)

Abstract

Objective: To examine the prevalence of thyroid disease and dysfunction including thyroid autoimmunity in Norway. Materials and methods: All inhabitants 20 years and older (94 009) in Nord-Trùndelag were invited to participate in a health survey with a questionnaire and blood samples. Results: The prevalence of former diagnosed hyperthyroidism was 2.5% in females and 0.6% in males, hypothyroidism 4.8% and 0.9%, and goitre 2.9% and 0.4% respectively. In both sexes the prevalence increased with age. In individuals without a history of thyroid disease the median, 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles for TSH (mU/l) were 1.80 and 0.49±5.70 for females and 1.50 and 0.56±4.60 for males. The TSH values increased with age. When excluding individuals with positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) (> 200 U/ml), the 97.5 percentiles dropped to 3.60 mU/l and 3.40 mU/l respectively. The prevalence of pathological TSH values in females and males were TSH $10 mU/l 0.90% and 0.37%; TSH 4.1±9.9 mU/l 5.1% and 3.7%; and TSH # 0.05 mU/l 0.45% and 0.20% respectively. The prevalence of positive TPOAb (> 200U/ml) was 13.9% in females and 2.8% in males. In females the lowest percentage (7.9%) of positive TPOAb was seen with TSH 0.2± 1.9 mU/l and increased both with lower and higher levels of TSH. The percentage of males with positive TPOAb was lower than in females in all TSH groups except for those with TSH > 10 mU/l (85% TPOAb positive). Conclusions: In spite of a high prevalence of recognised thyroid disease in the population a considerable number of inhabitants have undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction and also positive TPOAb.

Diagnostic sensitivity of thyroid autoantibodies assessed in a population-based, cross-sectional study in adults

“…Although we did not measure urine iodine in our subjects, Italy is classified as a mildly iodine-deficient area, and in the largest proportion of those with thyroid dysfunction the condition is probably associated with thyroid autoimmunity [10]. Indeed the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies among the Cremona Study participants was similar to that reported in the United Kingdom [11], United States [6], Australia [12], Norway [13], The Netherlands [14] and Denmark [15], all geographic regions with no or mild iodine deficiency.…”

Perfil epidemiológico dos pacientes com vitiligo e sua associação com doenças da tireoide

“…These percentage, compared to those in the literature, which ranged from 3.4% to 25.6%, is higher. 9,11,12,13,24 Antibodies in patients without vitiligo ranged from 13.9% for women to 2.8% for men 19 . Autoimmune diseases mostly associated with vitiligo were pernicious anemia, ranging from 1.8% to 2.3%, and rheumatoid arthritis, varying from 0.38% to 14%, which are higher than the rates found in the study population.…”

Hyperthyroidism and erectile dysfunction: a population-based case—control study

“…Subjects aged between 60 and 69 years had the highest ORs for prior hyperthyroidism among cases when compared to controls (OR ¼ 1.84; 95% confidence interval ¼ 1.20--2.84; Po0.001). 3,14 DISCUSSION While dysthryoidism has been reported to be associated with sexual dysfunction, 3,14 and thyroid hormone disorders in general have been understood to alter the reproductive axis, 15--17 to the best of our knowledge this is the first large-scale population-based study conducted investigating the relationship between ED and hyperthyroidism. After adjusting for monthly income, geographic location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, obesity and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome, we found that the OR of prior hyperthyroidism among cases was 1.64 (95% confidence interval ¼ 1.37--1.96, Po0.001) than that of controls.…”

“…2 A recently conducted prevalence study in Norway found that 0.9% of all Norwegian men over 20 years old in Nord-Trù ndelag had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. 3 Graves' disease accounts for 70% of hyperthyroidism cases, with the age of onset most often occurring during young adulthood 1 and is a genetically linked autoimmune disorder in which the body produces antibodies to its own tissues, which in turn cause the thyroid to produce excess of thyroid hormone. The other 30% of hyperthyroidism cases result from other causes, such as toxic nodular goiters, subacute thyroiditis, exposure to iodine from medications or X-ray dyes and postpartum thyroiditis.…”

“…Whether on account of autoimmune, inflammatory or metabolic sources, 1 the effects of hyperthyroidism have been reported to be associated with sexual impotence among men. 3,4 Furthermore, one recent study has demonstrated that thyroid hormone nuclear receptors in the penis provide the biological basis for the direct action of thyroid hormones on this organ and suggested that physicians should be advised to investigate sexual function in men with thyroid disorders. 5 Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse and is the most common sexual problem among aging male subjects.…”