Thyroid problems may run in families and are linked to factors beyond genetics. Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can affect production, but not all with abnormal levels have these diseases. Heredity is not always clear cut, but those with a family history should get checked regularly. Women over 50 are at increased risk.
Answering the question of whether thyroid problems are genetic is challenging. There is very little direct evidence that such problems are inherited, and in some cases, things other than genes can cause problems with thyroid production. What is quite clear is that problems often run in families, and not just in human families, but sometimes in certain dog breeds as well.
Thyroid problems include a wide range of medical conditions, but generally include the gland producing too much thyroid hormone, called hyperthyroidism, or too little, called hypothyroidism. More or less production than normal can be linked to a variety of factors, and two autoimmune diseases can severely affect thyroid production. People with Graves’ disease may have hyperthyroidism, for example, and those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may have hypothyroidism. However, not all people with abnormal levels have one of these diseases.
What’s not clear is whether anyone who inherits a predisposition for thyroid problems will necessarily have them. Some people with a strong family history end up with no problems and some with minimal family history do. Of course, there are many people who have high or low thyroid levels who never get tested or pass this information on to family members. There is evidence that some people have a slightly high or low test but receive no treatment.
Even with conditions like Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, heredity isn’t always clear cut. It’s not unusual to see an entire family with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, for example, but whether each affected member will pass the condition on to their children isn’t so obvious. The answer is that children can and do not inherit the condition. Since there seem to be links between thyroid problems and family history, it’s a good idea for people to know if they have this history.
People who know they have a family history of thyroid problems should probably be checked to see if they have low or high hormone levels. Individuals may need to be rechecked every year or two to make sure they haven’t developed a problem. It is also important for women to be checked after having a child because there is a link between deterioration in thyroid levels after pregnancy. Women over the age of 50 are at increased risk of hypothyroidism and may develop it later in life, even if they haven’t had problems in the past.
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