Many factors contribute to the risk of developing thyroid disease or thyroid conditions. Here is a look at some of those key risk factors.
Gender
The incidence of thyroid disorders is reported to be higher in women than in men.
Age
Being 50 and above increases the risk of thyroid disease for both men and women.
Family History
A family history of thyroid disease increases your risk for developing thyroid disease. A family history of having any autoimmune disease slightly increases your risk of developing an autoimmune thyroid disease such as Hashimoto’s disease or Graves’ disease.
Stress
It has been observed that major stress may contribute to disturbances in thyroid function. Major stress is considered an environmental factor for autoimmune thyroid disease.
Radiation Exposure
Exposure of the neck area to radiation, such as in the treatment of head or neck cancer, or accidental environmental exposure, increases the risk of autoimmune thyroid disease and thyroid cancer. Medical tests that use iodine-based contrast enhancing dyes can slightly increase the risk of developing a temporary thyroiditis, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
Pregnancy
The risk of developing thyroid disorders increases during pregnancy. Increased levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and estrogen are thought to be responsible for alterations in the levels of thyroid hormones.
Smoking
Thiocyanate in cigarettes adversely affects the thyroid. Smokers, therefore, have an increased risk of developing autoimmune thyroid diseases, and smoking can exacerbate existing symptoms of thyroid disease.
Diet
Insufficient dietary iodine increases the risk of hypothyroidism (most common in developing countries). In contrast, dietary supplementation with iodine-containing herbal remedies among individuals with sufficient dietary iodine intake can increase the risk of autoimmune thyroid disease. In susceptible people (usually those with underlying thyroid autoantibodies), foods containing goitrogens (chemicals that can promote goitre) can induce hypothyroidism when eaten raw and in large quantities. Some foods that are high in goitrogens include cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, soy and kale.
Thyroid Surgery
Surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid usually results in hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid.
Medications and Treatments
Certain medical treatments and drugs increase the risk of developing an underactive thyroid. These include Interferon Beta-1b, Interleukin-4, immunosuppressants, antiretrovirals, monoclonal antibody (Campath-1H), bone marrow transplant, Lithium, and amiodarone (Cordarone), among others.
Radioactive Iodine Treatment (RAI)
Radioactive iodine treatment to the thyroid –- which is used to treat Graves’ disease/hyperthyroidism and is often used as part of thyroid cancer treatment after surgery –- typically results in hypothyroidism.
Neck Surgery/Trauma
Some research suggests that there is a slightly increased risk of hypothyroidism or thyroiditis after recent neck surgery, trauma, biopsy or injection in the neck area.
References
http://myhivclinic.org/thyroid-disease/disease-information-overview/risk-factors
https://www.verywell.com/risk-factors-for-thyroid-disease-3233207
