Bayliss, Judy wrote:
> On the Menopaus mailing list (of which I'm the owner and a member)
> thyroid problems are frequently a topic of discussion.  It seems that a
> lot of women are diagnosed with hypothyroidism when they reach menopause
> age, or enter into peri-menopause.
> Is there a known reason why this would be so?  Is there something to do
> with the hormonal changes that might trigger a thyroid disease?  Or is
> it more likely that the thyroid condition has been there all along, but
> with mild symptoms, and only now discovered because there are so many
> other symptoms (caused by peri-meno or meno) being investigated?
> Judy
> [log in to unmask]
 
Judy:
 
Menopause definitely coincides agewise with the period of peak onset of
certain thyroid problems for women. In addition, other periods of
hormonal shift (puberty/pregnancy) are also periods when thyroid
problems become more common.
 
Since many thyroid diseases are auto-immune, I suggest you check out an
article titled Autoimmunity, the Female Connection, located on the web
at the medscape site. http://www.medscape.com  (Search on "autoimmunity"
after registering at medscape for free)
 
Basically, the article says that hormonal activity unique to women may
be significant in the development of particular autoimmune diseases
found predominately in women. And, as we all know, Graves disease and
Hashimotos thyroiditis are both autoimmune. According to the study,
they've found changes in certain estrogen levels in women with
particular autoimmune diseases, indicating that the presence or absence
of estrogen can worsen/improve different autoimmune diseases.
 
As far as I know, however, no one has studied the effect of estrogen or
other hormones on thyroid function.  The estrogen effect is still in its
early stages of being studied as far as effects on other diseases.
Certainly sounds like a good study for a researcher, however.
 
--Mary