2023-05-25 09:15:24
Thyroid disturbance can affect male and female fertility, pregnancy and fetal health. On World Thyroid Day we delve into the operation of this butterfly-shaped gland, located in the front of the neck, which produces hormones responsible for regulating our metabolism.
The butterfly is the shape of the thyroid gland that is located in the neck. EFE/Sergio Perez
One in ten people in Spain is affected by thyroid problems, although there is an underdiagnosis due to the lack of information and the similarity of symptoms with other pathologies, so it may be a factor that impacts fertility.
For this reason, women of reproductive age can suffer alterations of the thyroid gland that result in an excess production of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) or a defect (hypothyroidism).
According to gynecologist Paula Celada, from the Valencian Infertility Institute (IVI): “When we talk about hyper or hypothyroidism, we frequently observe alterations in the women’s menstrual cycle that sometimes lead to anovulatory cycles. This makes it more difficult to get pregnant spontaneously.”
Also “untreated hypothyroidism is associated with a higher rate of abortion, placental abruption, preeclampsia or low birth weight of these children. We have also seen an association between hypothyroidism and fetal neurodevelopment,” he explains.
Although it is more frequent among women, hypothyroidism also affects men and, in this case, “it has consequences on sperm quality, being able to alter sperm morphology and mobility. All of this decreases male fertility”, points out the gynecologist.
A blood test allows rapid diagnosis of thyroid disorders that can be treated with synthetic hormone supplements that regulate the normal activity of this gland and restore fertility.
Papillary carcinoma, 80% of thyroid cancer cases
On World Thyroid Day, the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN) It has focused on papillary carcinoma, which represents 80% of thyroid cancer cases and is the fifth most frequent in women worldwide.
The doctor Carles Zafón, coordinator of SEEN’s Thyroid Area, emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis: “The sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated. The size of the tumor is a highly relevant prognostic factor, so the smaller its size is at the time of diagnosis, the more likely it is to be cured”.
The patient profile for this type of tumor is usually women around 50 years of age. “In women it is three times more common and is usually diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60, although it can appear at any age and in both sexes”, she indicates.
As for the most aggressive tumors, the doctor specifies that they affect older people and there is not so much difference between men and women.
In Spain, some 5,000 cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed each year, although the causes of the increase may be due to the fact that “more cases are discovered by chance, since more imaging tests are currently performed, especially ultrasound scans,” according to Dr. Zafón, and also to other factors such as some chemical toxins or obesity.
The vast majority of thyroid tumors are diagnosed from the study of a thyroid nodule that is identified in a radiological test or by palpation of a lump in the neck by the patient.
The influence of genetic factors
Having first-degree relatives with autoimmune chronic thyroiditis, the most common type of thyroiditis (or inflammation of the thyroid gland) and the most common cause of hypothyroidism, may increase the predisposition to develop this disease.
“In fact, several genes that could be involved in its development have been identified, although the complexity of their interaction and their specific contribution to the disease are still being investigated,” says the doctor Berta Soldevila Madorell, head of the Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona (Barcelona).
More than a million people suffer from hypothyroidism in Spain and do not know it since the symptoms of this disease can vary and manifest progressively.
They are often nonspecific, such as tiredness, small weight gains, dry skin, or constipation. In the most severe cases, hair loss, memory loss, intolerance to cold or menstrual disorders may also be experienced.
To raise awareness about the pathology and the symptoms associated with it, and for the second consecutive year, the science and technology company Merck has launched the campaign “Do #DoubleCheckATuThyroid”.
The campaign takes place this week through social networks, in movie theaters and in pharmacies.
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