Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Is Hashimoto’s considered a fatal disease? Technically, yes, but the reality is that most people will not die directly from Hashimoto’s. In order for this to happen you must neglect your health and thyroid for decades which is very unlikely to happen in developed countries like the United States. But does that mean you are free from risk if you have Hashimoto’s? Not at all. We know from twin studies that patients with hypothyroidism have a 50% increased risk of mortality compared to the average population and we also know that Hashimoto’s leads to hypothyroidism so this risk is likely relevant to patients with autoimmune thyroid disease as well. But what causes this risk? It’s not from the thyroid itself but from comorbidities that are associated with hypothyroidism. These conditions include: 1. An increase in cancer risk. 2. An increase in cardiovascular disease. 3. And an increased risk of obesity which leads to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and insulin resistance. This may