Alcohol is one of the most widely used legal psychoactive substances consumed worldwide and is the third largest risk factor for disease and impairment worldwide. It has been reported to have multiple effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and thyroid function.
It has been found to cause direct suppression of thyroid function by cellular toxicity and indirect suppression by blunting the thyrotropin-releasing hormone response. It causes a decrease in peripheral thyroid hormones with chronic use and withdrawal. Alcohol consumption may also confer some protective effect against thyroid nodularity, goiter, and thyroid cancer.
This article reviews the clinically relevant effects of alcohol on thyroid function and also discusses the effect of medications used in the treatment of alcohol dependence on thyroid function.
Indian J Endocrinol Metab.: Impact of alcohol use on thyroid function
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