Any of the following characteristics make you more likely to develop a thyroid disorder:
- Being over age 50
- Being a woman (Women are five times more likely than men to develop hypothyroidism.)
- Having a family history of thyroid disorder
- Having another autoimmune disorder, such as Type 1 diabetes
- Having had thyroid surgery
- Having been exposed to radiation, especially irradiation to the neck
- Having been treated for a thyroid problem with radioactive iodine
- Being iodine-deficient (rare in the United States)
- Taking too much iodine (in food or drugs)
- Taking drugs that can slow thyroid function, such as lithium carbonate (used to treat a form of depression called bipolar disorder) or amiodarone (prescribed to treat heart rhythm problems)
Originally Published June 19, 2009
