Hashimoto's thyroiditis risk factors
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Risk Factors
Hashimoto’s disease is about seven times more common in women than men. Although it often occurs in adolescent or young women, the disease more commonly appears between 40 and 60 years of age. Hashimoto’s disease tends to run in families. Scientists are working to identify the gene or genes that cause the disease to be passed from one generation to the next. Possible environmental influences are also being studied. For example, researchers have found that excess iodine consumption may inhibit thyroid hormone production in susceptible individuals. Certain drugs or viral infections may also contribute to autoimmune thyroid diseases. People with other autoimmune disorders are more likely to develop Hashimoto’s disease and vice versa. These disorders include:
- Vitiligo, a condition in which some areas of the skin lose their natural color
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Addison’s disease, in which the adrenal glands are damaged and cannot produce enough of certain critical hormones
- Type 1 diabetes
- Pernicious anemia, a type of anemia caused by inadequate vitamin B12 in the body