Mental and physical complaints in thyroid disorders in the general population

To test the hypothesis that untreated overt and subclinical thyroid disorders and autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) are associated with mental and physical complaints in the general population.

A total of 3790 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) with no known thyroid disorders were analyzed concerning their thyroid function (TSH, FT3, FT4), autoantibodies (TPO-Ab), their thyroid structure and size and their mental and physical complaints (Zerssen Complaint Scale).

Overt hyperthyroidism (prevalence: 0.4%) was associated with a significantly lower total complaint-score than euthyroid subjects. Subjects with overt hypothyroidism (0.5%), subclinical hypothyroidism (0.7%), or subclinical hyperthyroidism (1.6%) were not different from controls in their total complaints. Females with AIT showed higher scores of tachycardia and anxiety independent from their thyroid function.

In non-patient samples, hyperthyroidism is associated with positive effects on self-rated mental and physical health. AIT may be associated with negative effects on health also in euthyroid subjects.