Search resultsGraves' hyperthyroidism and moderate alcohol consumption: Evidence for disease prevention
Title
Graves' hyperthyroidism and moderate alcohol consumption: Evidence for disease prevention
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2013
Authors
Journal
Clinical Endocrinology
Volume
79
Issue
1
Pagination
111 - 119
Date published
2013
ISBN
03000664 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adult, Aged, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, Anti-Infective Agents, Local, article, Case-Control Studies, clinical assessment, controlled study, Denmark, disease association, Disease Progression, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Ethanol, Female, Graves disease, human, Humans, liothyronine, major clinical study, male, Middle Aged, multicenter study, Multivariate Analysis, population based case control study, priority journal, prophylaxis, prospective study, Questionnaires, Regression Analysis, smoking habit, thyroid disease, thyroid function, thyrotropin, thyrotropin receptor antibody, Thyroxine, Triiodothyronine
Abstract
Background We recently demonstrated that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a considerable reduction in the risk of autoimmune hypothyroidism, similar to findings in other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. We aimed to study a possible association between alcohol intake and autoimmune Graves' hyperthyroidism. Design This is a population-based, case-control study. Methods In a well-defined Danish population (2 027 208 person-years of observation), we prospectively identified patients with new overt thyroid dysfunction and studied 272 patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism. For each patient, we recruited four age-gender-region-matched controls with normal thyroid function (n = 1088). Measurements Participants gave detailed information on current and previous alcohol intake as well as other factors to be used for analyses. The association between alcohol intake and development of hyperthyroidism was analysed in conditional multivariate Cox regression models. Results Graves' patients had a lower reported alcohol consumption than controls (median units of alcohol (12 g) per week: 2 vs 4, P < 0·001). In a multivariate regression model, alcohol consumption was associated with a dose-dependent reduction in risk for development of overt Graves' hyperthyroidism. Odds ratios (95% confidence interval) compared with the reference group with a recent (last year) consumption of 1-2 units of alcohol per week were as follows: 0 units/week 1·73 (1·17-2·56), 3-10 units/week 0·56 (0·39-0·79), 11-20 units/week 0·37 (0·21- 0·65), ≥21 units/week 0·22 (0·08-0·60). Similar results were found for maximum previous alcohol consumption during a calendar year. No interaction was found with the type of alcohol consumed (wine vs beer), smoking habit, age, gender or region of inhabitancy. Conclusions Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a considerable reduction in the risk of Graves' disease with hyperthyroidism - irrespective of age and gender. Autoimmune thyroid disease seems to be much more dependent on environmental factors than hitherto anticipated.