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Can a low–normal thyroid function lead to a longer life?
Does thyroid function affect life expectancy?
What is the life expectancy of a person with hypothyroidism?
Does hypothyroidism increase longevity?
However, with proper treatment, you should be able to lead a normal, healthy life. If an underactive thyroid is not treated, it can lead to complications, including heart disease , goitre, pregnancy problems and a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma (although this is very rare).
- Symptoms
Symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Many symptoms of an...
- Treatment
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is usually treated...
- Causes
A problem with the pituitary gland could lead to an...
- Complications
Therefore, tell a GP if you have an underactive thyroid and...
- Levothyroxine
Thyroid hormones are a normal part of breast milk. When...
- Overactive Thyroid
Causes of an overactive thyroid. There are several reasons...
- Diagnosis
Low levels of thyroid-producing hormones, such as...
- Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is cancer that's found in the thyroid gland....
- Symptoms
Oct 25, 2019 · We found that individuals with low–normal thyroid function live up to 3.7 years longer overall, of which up to 1.9 years longer with NCD, than individuals with high–normal thyroid function.
- Arjola Bano, Layal Chaker, Francesco U. S. Mattace-Raso, Natalie Terzikhan, Maryam Kavousi, M. Arfan...
- 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002957
- 2019
- PLoS Med. 2019 Oct; 16(10): e1002957.
Apr 23, 2024 · There is some thought that a low-normal thyroid function may cause energy conservation. Other theories indicate there may be a genetic component linked to hypothyroidism that increases longevity. This research has some limitations to consider.
- Overview
- Can hypothyroidism slow aging?
- Does hypothyroidism affect life expectancy?
- How does age affect hypothyroidism symptoms?
- What are the long-term effects of levothyroxine?
- Bottom line
The effect hypothyroidism has on aging is complex, but some evidence suggests it may be associated with prolonged life.
Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid, occurs when your thyroid gland isn’t making enough hormones to support bodily functions. Too-low levels of thyroid hormones cause many of the processes in your body to slow down.
Living with hypothyroidism can slow processes in your body that contribute to aging, such as your metabolism, but its exact effects on the aging process are unclear.
Metabolism is a broad term for your body’s use of energy. It involves functions related to converting food into energy and those involving energy uses at the cellular level. Your metabolic rate is the speed at which these processes occur.
Slowed metabolism from hypothyroidism can affect cell aging in a variety of ways, including the rate at which cells turnover, or how quickly your body replaces old cells with new ones.
Longer-lived cells conserving energy may sound like the fountain of youth, but aging isn’t so simple, and how significantly metabolism affects overall biological age isn’t known.
Biological aging is defined as a progressive, gradual decline in function across all systems in your body over time. While it includes changes to your metabolism, biological aging is a complex process involving many other factors, such as:
•DNA damage
Hypothyroidism can affect the function of almost every organ in your body.
If left untreated or in severe presentations such as myxedema, health challenges that affect life expectancy, such as heart failure, are possible.
The biological aging process naturally causes a decline in organ function. Your thyroid isn’t exempt, which is one of the reasons why hypothyroidism is more common in people over 60 years of age.
Despite the increased prevalence, hypothyroidism symptoms in older adults are often less severe compared with those in young people.
This may be partially due to how natural age-related experiences can mimic the symptoms of hypothyroidism, making them less noticeable.
As you get older, for example, you may naturally experience cold intolerance, but cold intolerance can also be a symptom of hypothyroidism. Symptoms of other chronic illnesses commonly seen later in life can also conceal symptoms.
Another reason why you might have milder symptoms of hypothyroidism as an older adult is because your hormone needs have changed with time.
According to a 2019 literature review, people require fewer thyroid hormones as they age to achieve proper organ function. In many cases, lower levels of thyroid hormones in older adults don’t cause major deficits in function and may not even need levothyroxine therapy, the gold standard of medication used in treatment.
Levothyroxine is a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. It’s one of the most widely used medications in the treatment of hypothyroidism and works by supplementing thyroid hormone when your natural levels are too low.
Although regularly prescribed for thyroid management, growing controversy surrounds the long-term use of levothyroxine.
Not only may it be overprescribed in older adults, but it may also increase your risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis — all factors that can negatively affect your quality of life with hypothyroidism.
There’s currently no evidence that taking levothyroxine to treat hypothyroidism will accelerate your aging or lower your life expectancy.
Important processes in your body, such as your metabolism, slow down when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. But delayed cellular functions don’t mean hypothyroidism slows aging.
Many collective factors cause biological aging, the natural decline of body functions over time. Damage to your DNA, changes in your immune system, and cellular dysfunction all matter.
Nov 15, 2022 · Hypothyroidism generally carries a greater life expectancy than hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). One study found a 3.5-year difference in life expectancy between those with low-normal thyroid function and high-normal thyroid function in those without cardiovascular disease.
Dec 10, 2022 · Problems tend to develop slowly, often over several years. At first, you may barely notice the symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as fatigue and weight gain. Or you may think they are just part of getting older. But as your metabolism continues to slow, you may develop more-obvious problems.
However, with proper treatment, you should be able to lead a normal, healthy life. If an underactive thyroid isn’t treated, it can lead to complications, including heart disease , goitre, pregnancy problems and a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma (although this is very rare).
