How does thyroid disease affect bone health?
Too much thyroid hormone increases bone loss and increases the risk for osteoporosis. There are different conditions that result in excess thyroid hormone: • Hyperthyroidism- Bone loss is seen in patients with a naturally occurring excess of thyroid hormone, a condition called overactive thyroid disease, hyperthyroidism or Graves disease. • Hypothyroidism treated with excess thyroid medication- Hypothyroidism is a condition in which there is too little natural thyroid hormone. People with hypothyroidism commonly take thyroid medication to replace what their own glands are not making. Loss of bone occurs in patients with hypothyroidism who take more than the needed amount of thyroid replacement medication. In contrast, the correct amount of thyroid medication will not produce any adverse effects on bone. • High doses of thyroid medication-. Some patients are treated with high doses of thyroid medication to stop the growth of small benign tumors called nodules. It is important to have no
