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Thyroid testing can indicate stroke risk

Category: Autoimmune Diseases

Thyroid testing
in young adults may help to reveal their risk of suffering a stroke later in life, as new research suggests that individuals with an overactive thyroid gland are significantly more likely to experience a stroke.

Researchers tracked the health data of over 3,000 people in their early 30s and found that the ones who had been diagnosed with having an overactive thyroid were 44 percent more likely to have a stroke.

The study's lead author, Herng-Ching Lin, said the cause of strokes are often unknown, and that the research may help doctors prevent them from happening in certain individuals.

"Strokes of undetermined cause account for between one-third and one-fourth of all ischemic strokes in young people," Lin said. "To the best of our knowledge, hyperthyroidism has never been considered as a potential risk factor for stroke in the 18 to 44 age group."

The National Stroke Association says that understanding risk factors can be the best way for individuals to prevent and survive strokes.