Diabetology & Thyroid Disease

Diabetes and thyroid disease are closely linked. If you have hyperthyroidism, your insulin levels can drop and your blood sugar can rise, increasing the risk of diabetes. If you have hypothyroidism, the opposite can occur and lead to bouts of low blood sugar.

 

On the flip side, type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune form of diabetes) can increase the risk of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease (autoimmune forms of thyroid disease). Problems with the HPA axis, a group of organs that produce the stress hormone cortisol, can also have a negative effect on insulin and thyroid hormone levels.

 

If you have diabetes or thyroid disease, properly managing your condition and maintaining an ideal weight may reduce your risk of developing the other condition.