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Family members of adults with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis face increased risk for disease
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The risk for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis among first-degree relatives of adults with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is nine times higher than that among the general population, according to findings published in Clinical Endocrinology.
Manjunath Goroshi, DM, of the department of endocrinology, Seth GSMC and KEM Hospital in Mumbai, and colleagues evaluated 861 first-degree relatives (mean age, 29.2 years) of 264 adults (mean age, 31 years) with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis attending the thyroid clinic of a tertiary care hospital in western India to determine the relative recurrence RR and age-related prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in family members. First-degree relatives included parents (n = 205), siblings (n = 336) and offspring (n = 320).
All relatives were evaluated for goiter, thyroid function tests, thyroid antibodies and urinary iodine concentrations. Thyroid antibody positivity and hypothyroidism (subclinical or overt) defined Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Overall, 38.3% of participants were positive for thyroid antibodies. The prevalence of thyroid antibody positivity was higher in female relatives (45.8%) compared with male relatives (34.2%).
A diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was made in 16.7% of participants and was highest in parents (22.9%), followed by siblings (19.6%) and offspring (9.6%). Women and men were similar in age at presentation of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Mild subclinical hypothyroidism was the most common (65.2%), followed by severe subclinical hypothyroidism (18.1%) and overt hypothyroidism (16.7%).
Goiter was present in 31% participants, including 115 siblings, 53 parents and 99 offspring. Participants with goiter had a higher prevalence of thyroid antibody positivity and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis compared with participants without goiter.
Overall, 123 of the adults with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis had at least one relative with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Researchers observed an age-related increase in the prevalence of thyroid antibody positively and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis throughout the study population. Women had a higher prevalence of thyroid antibody positivity and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis compared with men (P < .001).
“In an Indian cohort, first-degree relatives of patients with [Hashimoto’s thyroiditis] have a ninefold increased risk for developing [Hashimoto’s thyroiditis] as compared to the general population and the risk increases with age, exceeding that of the general population at 20 years of age in females and 27 years in males,” the researchers wrote. – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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