According to a study presented at e-ECE 2020 and published in the journal of Eureka Alert, patients with autoimmune inflammation of their thyroid may be at a greater risk of developing anxiety.

The study said anxious people may also have inflammation in their thyroid gland that can be reduced by taking the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, ibuprofen.

The findings suggested that thyroid function may play an important role in the development of anxiety disorders.

The health experts noted 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, the study said. 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 researchers maintained.

Autoimmune inflammation in the thyroid occurs when the body wrongly produces antibodies that attack the gland and cause damage.

Recent studies mentioned by the researchers suggested that anxiety disorders can be associated with the dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

Juliya Onofriichuk from Kyiv City Clinical Hospital, said in a statement: “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.”

Onofriichuk is now set to carry the 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 will aim 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.

 

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