Obese children face higher risk of thyroid dysfunction

Washington, December 3: According to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, pediatric obesity may induce alteration in thyroid function and structure.

Dr Giorgio Radetti of Regional Hospital of Bolanzo in Italy and his colleagues said that obesity may cause inflammation that actually damages the thyroid, a gland important to growth and metabolism.

The team took images of 186 overweight children for a period of over three years. They measured the thyroid hormonesdefine T3, T4 and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and anti thyroid bodies in all children using ultrasound. The researchers drew the conclusion that body mass indexdefine and thyroid results suggest that being obese may be responsible for thyroid dysfunction.

Dr Radetti stated, “Our study shows that alterations in thyroid function and structure are common in obese children and we may have uncovered a link. We found an association between body mass index and thyroid levels which suggest that fat excess may have a role in thyroid tissue modification.”

In the study, 73 children had inflamed thyroids but not the autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, in which T-cells attack the thyroid. The children did not show signs of antibodies which are involved in the disease. However the ultra sound pattern was still suggestive of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Radetti admitted that the results were somewhat ambiguous but “The findings do suggest the existence of low grade inflammation state, which has been known to characterize obesity.”

A co-relation of obesity with deficient thyroid function has been controversial. Weight gain can be linked to low thyroid function though stimulating the thyroid does not necessarily cause weight loss.

Thyroid generally returns to normal after losing weight, highlighting the possibility of potential reversibility of thyroid abnormalities shown in the ultra sound. However the researchers are vague whether thyroid abnormalities in obese children may lead to chronic disease later on. They feel there is need for further investigation.

Professor David Dunger, a paediatric endocrinologist from the University of Cambridge, found it an “interesting observation” but was doubtful if it would change the perception that thyroid disorders lead to obesity rather than reverse being the case.

He said “It tends to turn thinking about thyroid on its head and the findings would need to be reproduced by other studies.”