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Hypothyroidism does more than mess with your metabolism.<\/p>\nHypothyroidism does more than mess with your metabolism.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and strokes.<\/p>\n
This is confirmed in a recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology<\/em>.<\/p>\n But it also highlights two actions you can take to disable<\/em> hypothyroidism the connected diseases.<\/p>\n The researchers examined 2,628 adults to explore how hypothyroidism connects with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke).<\/p>\n Takeaways:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 1. High Rates of Hypothyroidism: In this study, 30% of adults had hypothyroidism. Most of these cases were subclinical, meaning they had low thyroid function without obvious symptoms.<\/p>\n 2. Gender Differences: Women were significantly more likely to experience hypothyroidism than men, with 36% of women affected versus 24% of men.<\/p>\n 3. Lifestyle Impact: Common habits, like smoking and drinking, were found to increase the risk of developing hypothyroidism. This is crucial since it shows that lifestyle choices can directly affect thyroid health.<\/p>\n 4. Increased Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: The study found that people with low thyroid hormone levels had a higher likelihood of metabolic syndrome\u2014a combination of high blood pressure, excess body fat, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. These factors are all serious red flags for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.<\/p>\n Thankfully, there are actions you can take to reduce these risks. <\/p>\n Start by addressing lifestyle factors: if you smoke or drink, quitting can help lower your risk of hypothyroidism and the health problems it brings. <\/p>\n