Goitre risk factors

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Goiters can affect anyone. Some common risk factors for goiter include:

• A lack of dietary iodine: Epidemical data show that people living in areas lack of iodine and not getting enough iodine in the diet are at high risk of goiter.
• Female gender: Studies demonstrate that women are more likely to thyroid disorders than men.
• Age over 50 years
• Personnal or family history: A personal or family history of autoimmune disease increases your risk.
• Certain medications: Some drugs, such as immunosuppressants, antiretrovirals, amiodarone for arrhythmia and lithium for psychiatric disorders, may increase the risk of developing goitre.
• Radiation: Clinical surveys demonstrate the risk increases when patients have been treated with radiation to the neck or chest area, even when they have been exposed to radiation in a nuclear facility, test or accident.

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