A Scoping Review on the Prevalence of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and the Possible Associated Factors.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Scoping review of predominantly cross-sectional observational studies without quantitative meta-analysis.
PubMed 40265390 · doi:10.3390/medsci13020043
What was done
This scoping review searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus for English-language articles published between January 1965 and October 2024 evaluating the prevalence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and associated factors in adults. Two authors independently appraised study quality using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. A total of 59 studies met inclusion criteria, the vast majority employing cross-sectional designs.
What was found
Global adult prevalence of HT was estimated at 5% to 10%, though regional estimates varied from <0.5% to >20%. Prevalence was consistently higher in women than in men. Wide variability across studies was attributed to diverse disease assessment methods, environmental, lifestyle, genetic, epigenetic, nutritional, and socioeconomic factors, as well as potential overdiagnosis.
Why it matters
This review compiles six decades of epidemiological data to establish a broad global baseline for Hashimoto's thyroiditis prevalence while highlighting extreme regional variations in reported rates.
Limits
The abstract reports wide variance across studies driven by disparate diagnostic criteria and assessment methods. No quantitative meta-analysis or pooled effect size was performed. The majority of included evidence relies on cross-sectional designs, and search criteria were restricted to English-language publications only.
Cited by
- partial Approximately one in five women have Hashimoto's thyroiditis.