As of: March 9, 2024, 6:34 p.m
By: Natalie Hull-Deichsel
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Thyroid diseases are common and can affect people of all ages.
What reasons lead to women in particular becoming ill?
About a third of adults in Germany will develop at least one form of thyroid disease during their lifetime, and the frequency increases with age.
Around 20 million people in Germany have an enlarged or nodular thyroid, and eight to ten million are affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, according to the
Ärzte Zeitung online
.
The most frequently searched diseases on the Internet are hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Hyperthyroidism due to the autoimmune disease Graves' disease affects fewer people.
Basically, more women get sick than men - why is that?
Thyroid disease more common in women: Four causes contribute to it
Women are much more likely to be affected by thyroid disease than men.
© AndreyPopov/Imago
According to Dr.
Eva Petnehazy from the Institute for Thyroid Diagnostics and Nuclear Medicine Gleisdorf and Thyroid Diagnostic Center Graz, Austria, in addition to environmental influences and female hormones, genetic risk factors also play a role - in women, the double X chromosome is one cause.
“The man’s Y chromosome doesn’t seem to play a role,” the
Ärzte Zeitung online
quotes the internal medicine specialist as saying.
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Women also have stronger immune competence, says Dr.
Eva Petnehazy, which causes excessive immune reactions and can therefore promote autoimmune diseases.
Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common cause of hypothyroidism
Severe fatigue
Poor performance and concentration
Dejection
Lack of motivation
Weight gain
Depressive moods
Dry, brittle hair
Hair loss
Bouts of cold, especially on hands and feet
Cardiac arrhythmias
Low blood pressure
Weak, slowed pulse
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Thyroid disease more common in women: Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism, even thyroid cancer
As a result, women are ten to 15 times more likely to be diagnosed with Hashimoto's and around five times more likely to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Thyroid cancer also has a higher incidence rate in women than in men.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.