Thyroid conditions may affect ovaries' egg reserves

Thyroid hormones are important for ovarian health and fertility, but the effects of low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism) and thyroid autoimmune diseases on the functioning of a woman's ovaries are not fully understood. In an analysis published in Reproductive Medicine and Biology, investigators examined results on this topic that have been published to date.

The researchers found nine relevant studies, and the studies' findings indicated that hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity can negatively impact a woman's ovarian reserve, or the total number of healthy immature eggs in the ovaries.

"Our age-stratified analysis demonstrated that thyroid autoimmunity and hypothyroidism possibly have different impacts on the ovarian reserve. It provides an important clue in determining how these conditions affect the development of ovarian follicles," said senior author Akira Iwase, MD, Ph.D., of the Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, in Japan.