Evaluation Table
Summary of Findings
As the reviewed studies have shown, hyperthyroidism is often directly linked to reproductive problems in pregnant women or those women who are planning to become pregnant. Some of the studies show that hyperthyroidism can negatively influence different trimesters of pregnancy, as well as result in spontaneous abortions and stillbirths.
It should also be noted that although many guidelines about hyperthyroidism and its impact on pregnant women and fetuses exist, they are not aligned with each other. It does not mean, however, that they include contradictory information. They mostly provide supporting information about the condition and its causes.
Nevertheless, inconsistencies in the treatment of hyperthyroid still exist despite the developed guidelines. Different physicians and medical professionals prefer different methods and drugs to treat hyperthyroid. This finding supports the assumption that not all professionals use guidelines as supporting sources of information.
Hyperthyroidism was more likely to occur in early pregnancy or postpartum and did not correlate with other autoimmune diseases. However, additional research is needed to understand why hyperthyroidism was more likely to develop during the first trimester or after labor.
Hyperthyroidism was also linked to sexual dysfunctions in women; women with hyperthyroidism were less likely to experience orgasm, arousal, desire, and satisfaction. However, other thyroid disorders also adversely influenced the sexual function of women.
The findings of the five studies provide an insight into the treatment of hyperthyroidism, its impact on pregnancy, possible child loss, and other complications of childbirth. It seems reasonable to assume that early identification and treatment of hyperthyroidism can result in better pregnancy outcomes as well as less possible complications. Nevertheless, it should also be noted that several of these studies included small sample size and were limited in other options as well, which could adversely influence the outcomes.
Population studies, in return, have provided conclusive findings that indicate hyperthyroidism is specific for particular periods of pregnancy. The limitation of these population-based findings is that they did not have the opportunity to measure thyroid hormones in women. Moreover, it can also be assumed that age, other conditions and diseases, financial stability, and race can influence the development of hyperthyroidism. This possibility was not discussed in any of the reviewed studies.
Another problem that one of the studies has addressed is the inconsistency in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. If different physicians prefer different medications, it should be researched on how these preferences influence the development of hyperthyroidism and impact pregnant women and fetuses. However, the results of such a finding could indicate what treatment is more effective and why. This problem needs to be addressed more often in studies of hyperthyroidism.
The relation between female sexual dysfunction and hyperthyroidism is another issue that demands attention. In the provided study, female sexual dysfunction was examined in the context of thyroid diseases. However, additional studies need to focus on the direct influence of hyperthyroidism on sexual dysfunctions. This problem is rarely addressed, but it can give the researches a deeper understanding of the condition and its influences on female patients. Such research could also indicate whether there are other dysfunctions caused by hyperthyroidism that has not been addressed yet. Research on hyperthyroidism’s impact on childless women is scarce. Nevertheless, it does not mean that condition-based dysfunctions in these women are less valuable for the research of hyperthyroidism.
References
Alamdari, S., Azizi, F., Delshad, H., Sarvghadi, F., Amouzegar, A., & Mehran, L. (2013). Management of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy: Comparison of recommendations of American thyroid association and endocrine society. Journal of Thyroid Research, 2(1), 1-6.
Andersen, S. L., Olsen, J., Carlé, A., & Laurberg, P. (2014). Hyperthyroidism incidence fluctuates widely in and around pregnancy and is at variance with some other autoimmune diseases: A Danish population-based study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 100(3), 1164-1171.
Andersen, S. L., Olsen, J., Wu, C. S., & Laurberg, P. (2014). Spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and hyperthyroidism: A Danish population-based study. European Thyroid Journal, 3(3), 164-172.
Pasquali, D., Maiorino, M. I., Renzullo, A., Bellastella, G., Accardo, G., Esposito, D., & Esposito, K. (2013). Female sexual dysfunction in women with thyroid disorders. J Endocrinol Invest, 36(9), 729-33.
Poppe, K., Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, A., Laurberg, P., Negro, R., Vermiglio, F., & Vaidya, B. (2012). Management of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy: Results of a survey among members of the European Thyroid Association. European Thyroid Journal, 1(1), 34-40.