Thyroid inflammation linked to anxiety disorders, finds study
There may be a greater risk of developing anxiety for patients suffering from autoimmune inflammation of their thyroid, suggest the findings of a new study.
The study was presented at e-ECE 2020.
The study found that people with anxiety may also have inflammation in their
thyroid gland that can be reduced by taking the non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory, ibuprofen. These findings suggest that thyroid function may
play an important role in the development of anxiety disorders and that thyroid
inflammation should be investigated as an underlying factor in psychiatric
disorders, such as anxiety.
At present, up to 35 per cent of the young population (25-60 years) in
developed countries have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can have a severe impact
on people’s quality of life and ability to work and socialise, and anti-anxiety
medication does not always have a lasting effect. Current examinations for
anxiety disorders usually focus on the dysfunction of the nervous system and do
not take into account the role of the endocrine system.
The thyroid gland produces the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine
(T3) that are essential for regulating heart, muscle and digestive function,
brain development and bone maintenance. Autoimmune inflammation in the thyroid
occurs when our bodies wrongly produce antibodies that attack the gland and
causes damage. Recent studies indicate that anxiety disorders can be associated
with the dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Therefore, it is important to
understand how this may contribute to anxiety so that patients can be treated
more effectively.
Dr Juliya Onofriichuk from Kyiv City Clinical Hospital investigated thyroid
function in 29 men (average age 33.9) and 27 women (average age 31.7) with
diagnosed anxiety, who were experiencing panic attacks. Ultrasounds of their
thyroid glands assessed thyroid function and levels of thyroid hormones were
measured. The patients with anxiety showed signs of inflammation of their
thyroid glands but their function was not affected, with thyroid hormone levels
all within the normal range, although slightly elevated. They also tested
positive for antibodies directed against the thyroid. Treatment for 14 days
with ibuprofen and thyroxine reduced thyroid inflammation, normalised thyroid
hormone levels and reduced their anxiety scores.
“These findings indicate that the endocrine system may play an important role
in anxiety. Doctors should also consider the thyroid gland and the rest of the
endocrine system, as well as the nervous system when examining patients with
anxiety,” Dr Onofriichuk explains.
This knowledge could help patients with anxiety receive more effective
treatment that improves thyroid function and could have a long-term positive
effect on their mental health. However, sex and adrenal gland hormones were not
taken in to account in this study, and these can also have a serious effect on
anxiety.
Dr Onofriichuk now plans to conduct further research that examines the levels
of thyroid, sex and adrenal hormones (cortisol, progesterone, prolactin, estrogen and testosterone) in patients with dysfunctional thyroid glands and
anxiety disorders. This research aims to help understand more clearly the role
of the endocrine system in the development of anxiety and could lead to better
management of anxiety disorders.
| labels- estrogen, prolactin, testosterone, cortisol, thyroid, inflammation, anxiety disorders, adrenal, endocrine system, progesterone, |