An Epidemiological Study of Risk Factors of Thyroid Nodule and Goiter in Chinese Women.

Lei Zheng,Yiming Mu,Wenhua Yan,Ping Liang,Yue Kong

doi:10.3390/ijerph120911608

Abstract

Thyroid nodule (TN) and goiter are two common disorders of the thyroid. Despite their benign nature, both conditions can be associated with multiple pathologic conditions including thyroid cancer. In this study, we conducted a large-scale epidemiological study in Chinese women to identify the risk factors implicated in the occurrence of TN and goiter. We analyzed demographic data, lifestyle, medical history, body height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, serum glucose and lipids. In addition, thyroid ultrasonography was performed for all subjects. Our results showed that age, menopause, waist circumference, BMI, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia were associated with both TN and goiter. Furthermore, we found that the prevalence of TN was significantly affected by the medical management of hypertension. Our study suggests that postmenopausal Chinese women with advanced age, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension have an increased awareness of thyroid examination in the annual physical check. Conversely, patients with TN and goiter of the same population may have a higher incidence of age- and obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Highlights

Thyroid nodule (TN) and goiter are two common thyroid disorders that have global influence [1,2,3,4,5]
It is worth noting that most identified risk factors are components of the metabolic syndrome, a disorder of energy utilization and storage manifested as conditions such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, and obesity
Metabolic syndrome is a major health issue in Western countries, with data estimating the prevalence in the United States to be 34% [25]

Summary

Introduction

Thyroid nodule (TN) and goiter are two common thyroid disorders that have global influence [1,2,3,4,5]. The presentation of these two conditions range from mild changes in the thyroid structure without clinical manifestations to severe symptoms such as breathing and/or swallowing difficulties that affect life quality and expectancy. Reported approximately 10% of the world population was affected by goiter [4]. TN and goiter have no clinical manifestations in majority of patients, both conditions can be associated with varied pathologic conditions of the thyroid including thyroiditis, endocrine dysregulation, and autoimmune disease [1,2,3].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion