Vitamin D deficiency can affect thyroid function
An under active thyroid, also called hypothyroidism, may result in weight gain, fatigue, extreme cold, and increased menstrual periods in women. When the thyroid gland’s activity increases beyond normal, a condition called hyperthyroidism develops. Symptoms include pounding heartbeat, extreme anxiety, rapid weight loss and raised temperature.
While several factors may result in either condition, the most common causes are autoimmune diseases called Graves’s disease or autoimmune hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or autoimmune hypothyroidism (AITDs).
An autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body’s immune system, which normally protects against invaders such as viruses and bacteria, becomes confused and attacks healthy tissue. In this case, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to malfunction.
Vitamin D has been linked to various autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and multiple sclerosis. Recent studies have also linked it to autoimmune thyroid diseases.
Recently, a study was undertaken to evaluate the levels of vitamin D in patients with AITDs compared to patients with non-AITDs and healthy controls. Serum vitamin D (25-OH) levels were measured in 50 patients with AITDs, 42 patients with non-AITDs and 98 healthy subjects. Vitamin D deficiency was designated at levels lower than 10 ng/ml.
Results showed that vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in patients with AITDs compared with healthy individuals (72% versus 30.6%), as well as in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis compared to patients with non-AITDs (79% versus 52%). Vitamin D deficiency also correlated to the presence of antithyroid antibodies and abnormal thyroid function tests.
The study suggests the involvement of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of AITDs and advises vitamin D supplementation.
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Source:
Cellular and molecular immunology

