Anemia in thyroid diseases

[helvella]

It is not just Thyroid UK/HU that says that anaemia frequently accompanies thyroid disease!

Pol Arch Intern Med. 2017 Mar 28. doi: 10.20452/pamw.3985. [Epub ahead of print]

Anemia in thyroid diseases.

Szczepanek-Parulska E, Hernik A, Ruchała M.

Abstract

Anemia is a frequent, although often underestimated, clinical condition accompanying thyroid diseases. In spite of the fact that anemia and thyroid dysfunction often occur simultaneously, the causative relationship between these two disorders remains ambiguous. Thyroid hormones stimulate erythrocytes precursors proliferation directly, as well as via erythropoietin production enhancement, whereas iron-deficient anemia negatively influences thyroid hormonal status. Thus, different forms of anemia might emerge in the course of thyroid dysfunction. In fact, normocytic anemia is most common, while macrocytic or microcytic anemia occur less frequently. Anemia in hypothyroidism might result from bone marrow depression, decreased erythropoietin production, comorbid diseases, or concomitant iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. Altered iron metabolism and oxidative stress may contribute to anemia in hyperthyroidism. The risk of anemia in autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) may be posed by pernicious anemia and atrophic gastritis, celiac disease, autoimmune hemolytic syndrome, or rheumatic disorders. The simultaneous occurrence of anemia and thyroid disease, as well as their close relation, make the diseases an important clinical problem. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive review summarizing data on the prevalence, potential mechanisms, and therapy of anemia in the course of thyroid diseases from the clinical and pathogenetic perspective. Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune thyroid disease should be considered in differential diagnosis of treatment-resistant or refractory anemia, as well as in case of increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW). Of note is that the presence of AITD itself, independently from thyroid hormonal status, might affect hemoglobin level.

PMID: 28400547

DOI: 10.20452/pamw.3985

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/284...

Full text available here - but current PDF is double-spaced draft:

pamw.pl/en/issue/article/28...

[UrsaP]

Is anything not linked! Might account for the regular fainting in teenage years...ongoing intermittent, low iron.....

[helvella Administrator in reply to UrsaP]

In a word, "No".

A number of years ago physicists kept going on about the Higgs Boson being the god particle. I've long thought of thyroid hormone similarly.

[UrsaP in reply to helvella]

Me too - I think if they actually researched into hormones, they might even find a cure for the diabetes, heart conditions and cancers, and maybe even the common cold!

Everyone, even Dr's, must know by now, that thyroid hormone affects ever cell in the body - so why do Dr's not accept that, when it goes wrong, it can affect all sorts of things too? And like most systems there are different stages where things go wrong - Instead of telling us it isn't thyroid related - everything is thyroid related!

[gabkad in reply to UrsaP]

It's been since 1909 since anyone won the Nobel Prize for thyroid. It's not a 'hot' topic for research. They are vying for finding the cure for Alzheimers.

[shaws Administrator in reply to gabkad]

which people probably develop due to low B12 and low T3.

[UrsaP in reply to shaws]

Amongst other things!

[UrsaP in reply to gabkad]

gabkad didn't someone recently post some thinking on here about Alzheimers and Parkinson's being possibly linked to low thyroid??? Or was it low adrenal?

[gabkad in reply to UrsaP]

I don't know. Maybe in relation to B12 deficiency.

[shaws Administrator]

Thanks, Helvella, for another learning curve. Wouldn't it be good if the medical profession ready such reports. Mind you they might well not test or prescribe essential medications.