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Hyperthyroidism caused by Graves’ disease often occurs post partum
The background of the study. Hyperthyroidism caused
by Graves’ disease is more common in women than men, and among
the former it may be more common after pregnancy. In this study,
the relative frequency of onset of Graves’ hyperthyroidism
was determined among nulliparous women, those who had had a recent
pregnancy, and those in whom pregnancy was more distant.
How the study was done. The records of 152 women aged 18 to 39 years with Graves’ hyperthyroidism seen at a single clinic were reviewed.
The results of the study. The 152 women with Graves’
hyperthyroidism included 94 nulliparous women (62 percent) and 58
who had been pregnant (38 percent) (Table). Among the 58 women who
had been pregnant, the onset of hyperthyroidism was 
1 year
after delivery in 26 (45 percent [17 percent of the entire group])
and >1 year after delivery in 32 (55 percent [21 percent of the
entire group]).
| Table. Characteristics and Outcome of Treatment
of the Nulliparous, Recently-Pregnant, and Distantly-Pregnant
Women with Hyperthyroidism Caused by Graves’ Disease. |
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Pregnancy Status |
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| None (n = 94) |
Recent (n = 26) |
Distant (n = 32) |
|
| Mean age (yr) | 30 | 33 | 32 |
| Mean no. of deliveries | 0 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
Among the women with hyperthyroidism, the proportion that had been recently pregnant was higher than the proportion of women of the same age who gave birth in the same city in 2001.
The conclusions of the study. Among women of childbearing
age with Graves’ hyperthyroidism, over one third have been
pregnant, and in almost half of them the diagnosis is made 1 year after pregnancy.
The original article. Benhaim Rochester D, Davies TF. Increased risk of Graves’ disease after pregnancy. Thyroid 2005;15:1287-90.
Next Article: Hyperthyroidism can occur after parathyroid
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| Thyroid Digest Index | | | March 2006 Thyroid Digest |
