Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland and the most common cause of hypothyroidism, has no cure, according to endocrinologists interviewed on the CNN Brazil program Sinais Vitais. Dr. Kalil hosted the segment with Suemi Marui, an endocrinologist and head of the Thyroid Unit at the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo Medical School (FMUSP), and Rosa Paula Biscolla, an endocrinologist and professor at the Escola Paulista de Medicina, part of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP).
Marui said the disease's name refers to the researcher who first identified it, and that the suffix "itis" already signals, in medical terms, that the condition is an inflammation. She explained that Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid, meaning that for reasons still unknown to medicine, the body stops recognizing the thyroid as part of itself and begins producing antibodies against it.
Hypothyroidism is not an immediate result
Although Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the leading cause of hypothyroidism, Marui stressed that a diagnosis does not necessarily mean the hormonal deficiency will develop right away. She said Hashimoto's thyroiditis does not necessarily cause hypothyroidism. To find out whether a patient has developed the condition, doctors rely on blood tests, specifically measuring TSH and free T4, two markers used to assess thyroid function. In some cases, she said, hypothyroidism can take a long time to appear, which makes regular medical follow-up essential.
No cure, but the disease can be controlled
Marui was direct in stating that Hashimoto's thyroiditis has no cure. She said the condition can, however, be controlled with proper follow-up. She warned that there are no miracle diets, anti-inflammatory diets or medications capable of reversing the autoimmune process itself.
She said that what doctors do is monitor patients over time. Continuous monitoring, she said, is the main strategy for managing the disease.
Women are the most affected
Biscolla said thyroid diseases disproportionately affect women, noting that in her clinical experience there are far more female patients than male ones. She explained that the higher prevalence among women is linked to the fact that most thyroid diseases are autoimmune in nature, and autoimmune diseases in general are more common in women. She added that thyroid nodules follow the same pattern, also occurring more frequently in women.
