Overactive Thyroid Linked to Stroke Risk

While that previous studies have reported an association between hyperthyroidism and cerebrovascular disease, hyperthyroidism has never been considered as a potential risk factor for stroke in people in their 40s.   Jau-Jiuan Sheu, from Taipei Medical University (Taiwan), and colleagues examined data on 3,176 patients with hyperthyroidism, comparing it to 25,408 patients without the disease.  Tracking the subjects for five years, specifically monitoring for incidence of stroke, the team found that having an overactive thyroid was associated with a 44% increased risk for ischemic stroke (a stroke cause by blocked arteries), after adjusting for confounding factors.