Over 30% Indians suffering from thyroid disorder: survey

Nearly every third Indian suffers from one or the other kind of thyroid disorder, which most often causes weight gain and hormonal imbalances, and is more commonly seen in women, according to a survey.
North India recorded the maximum cases of hypothyroidism, a condition in which thyroid gland cannot make enough hormone to keep the body running, said the survey, adding the south and the west zones reported cases of hyperthyroidism and its variants.
The analysis is based on in-house data collected from over 33 lakh adults pan India from 2014-2016 and revealed that about 32 per cent of the Indian population is suffering from various kinds of thyroid disorders.

Sub clinical hypothyroidism, a milder form of hypothyroidism where the diagnosis is made unexpectedly, emerged as the most prevalent form of thyroid disorder across the country with maximum cases being present in the eastern part of the country.
North India reported maximum cases of hypothyroidism while the south and west zones reported cases of hyperthyroidism and its variants, as per the survey carried out by SRL Diagnostics.
"The data shows how thyroid abnormalities are present all across the country in its various forms. The finding of sub-clinical hypothyroidism as the most widespread thyroid dysfunction in India is not that unexpected, as without regular testing this condition remains clinically undetected," Dr Avinash Phadke from SRL Diagnostics said.

Thyroid diseases are more commonly seen in women and cause a multitude of problems, most notably, weight gain and hormonal imbalances. However, even men are at risk, though their chances of suffering from thyroid diseases are considered to be less as compared with women.

Symptoms of under-active thyroid are similar in men as they are in women, with weakness, fatigue, weight gain, depression and high cholesterol dominating day to day life.
Though common statistics reports that men have up to eight times less chance of developing a thyroid disorder than women, it would be amiss to remove it as a threat altogether.

With early diagnosis and treatment, thyroid hormone replacement is a safe and effective treatment that can manage one's symptoms and prevent complications.
As this report showed sub-clinical hypothyroidism, in which thyroid functions just below normal level, is a silent disease which is being increasingly diagnosed in the Indian population.