More than half of people in Portugal with thyroid disease remain undiagnosed

More than half of the approximately one million people in Portugal estimated to have thyroid disease have not been diagnosed, according to specialists, who stress the need to take symptoms such as tiredness and changes in weight seriously.

Thyroid disease symptoms should not be dismissed

Speaking to Lusa at the start of Thyroid Week today, Paula Freitas, president of the Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (SPEDM), said symptoms are often brushed aside and, particularly at an early stage, mistaken for everyday issues.

"Sometimes, for instance, a patient has bradycardia, meaning their heart is beating more slowly, and it ends up being the cardiologist who makes the diagnosis. Or they may have very high cholesterol and, when doctors try to establish why, it turns out to be hypothyroidism," the specialist explained, emphasising that symptoms should not be disregarded.

She also noted that thyroid problems can worsen other conditions: "For example, when there is diabetes or hypertension or, in very extreme cases, it can worsen heart failure."

"In young women, it also affects fertility and pregnancy itself," she added.

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism

As well as hypothyroidism, where the thyroid works slowly, there is the opposite condition: an overactive thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism. In these cases, she explained, symptoms may develop more quickly and present differently, so people tend to notice them and a diagnosis is therefore made.

"With hyperthyroidism, it is as though everything is speeded up. There is therefore often weight loss despite a normal or even greatly increased appetite, (...) and people pay attention to changes in weight," the specialist said.

Thyroid diseases are among the most common endocrine disorders worldwide, estimated to affect around 200 million people. In Portugal, they may affect up to one million people, equivalent to roughly 10% of the population.

Around 60% of thyroid disease cases remain undiagnosed

Despite this high prevalence, estimates suggest that about 60% of people with thyroid disease have not received a diagnosis, potentially amounting to 600,000 people.

Paula Freitas said that when symptoms continue, "they may have clinical significance and should be assessed".