The Incidence of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Conclusion

From this comprehensive systematic review of autoimmune thyroid disease, our best estimate of incidence rates for hypothyroidism in females is 350/100 000/year and in males, 80/100 000/year; for hyperthyroidism in females 80/100 000/year and in males, 8/100 000/year.

Rates were generally higher among females: the incidence of hypothyroidism was between 2·2 and 111/100 000/year in males and between 200 and 498·4/100 000/year in females. For disorders of overactive thyroid disease, incidence rates for overt cases were between 0·7 and 22·0/100 000/year in males and between 8·8 and 46·5/100 000/year in females; studies including subclinical cases did not report incidence rates in males but reported higher incidence rates in females of around 80/100 000/year.

However, in view not only of the limited number of geographical areas covered but also the differences in methods used to determine incidence rates, caution is required in applying these figures to populations elsewhere in the world.

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Clin Endocrinol. 2008;69(5):687-696. © 2008  Blackwell Publishing