Combined Occurrence
Aside from the fact that hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia have common symptoms, there are many cases when both conditions would occur together. In one study, it was found that there is a 2% to 7% chance that fibromyalgia could occur to the general public, while 30% to 40% to those with hypothyroidism. This figure shows that if you have hypothyroidism, you are at high risk of having fibromyalgia.
Meanwhile, among those people who have hypothyroidism, it was found that fibromyalgia was more prevalent among those who were overweight and have positive anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies. It is also more common in people who have had thyroid disease for a long time.
Similarities in Epidemiology
Fibromyalgia and thyroid disease have also been found to affect people under a similar population:
- Sex – both fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism are more prevalent in women.
- Age – both conditions tend to occur during the middle age or during the woman’s childbearing age. However, the condition may also occur at any given age.
These similarities have led to several possible hypotheses about the potential causes of both conditions.
