Thyroid disease and abnormal thyroid function tests in women with eating disorders and depression.
Forty-two female patients with an eating disorder and major depression were compared with 48 female patients with major depression in a retrospective chart study for the prevalence of thyroid disease and laboratory thyroid function abnormalities in the absence of thyroid disease. Eating disorder patients, aged 30-80 years, had a significantly higher incidence in thyroid diseases (53%) then those with major depression alone (17%). The incidence of thyroid disease did not differ between the two groups among patients aged 11-29 years. Abnormal thyroid screening values occurred in 40% of euthyroid eating disorder patients and 34% of those with major depression. While the overall prevalence of thyroid disease in depressed females (15%) was similar to that in the general population (10.5%), thyroid disease in the eating disordered/depressed patients was twice the rate expected (24%) in the general population. Female patients who require psychiatric hospitalization should be routinely evaluated for thyroid function, especially those diagnosed with an eating disorder and depression.
Hall
R C
RC
University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
Dunlap
P K
PK
Hall
R C
RC
Pacheco
C A
CA
Blakey
R K
RK
Abraham
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000855:Anorexia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology