Slightly overactive thyroid linked to increased risk of fracture

Having an overactive thyroid is a known risk factor for osteoporosis and fracture, but new research highlights that even a mildly overactive thyroid can pose similar problems.
Experts analysed data from over 70,000 people from 13 studies and found that subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with an increased risk for hip and other fractures including spine.
Subclinical hyperthyroidism is when there is a low serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration in a person without clinical symptoms and normal thyroid hormone concentrations on blood tests.
“Our pooled data analysis demonstrates that subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with increased fracture risk and provides insight on defined subgroups,” the authors write.
Now researchers need to see if treating the subclinical hyperthyroidism can actually prevent fractures.

Click here to read the original research.

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Image credit: Umberto Salvagnin