Thyroid Disease in Australia
At least 2% of Australian have known disorders of thyroid gland (500,000 people). The true number is almost certainly higher and is more prevalent in certain regions, depending often on iodine intake. The number of older Australian that suffer from a clinically relevant thyroid disorder is much higher at 14% with many undiagnosed. Up to 50% of Australian children and a similar percentage of pregnant women suffer from iodine deficiency. Smaller studies have shown that approximately 10% of pregnant women in Australia suffer from mild hypothyroidism (subclinical).Thyroid disease is very common and usually requires minimal management and intervention.
The excellent graphic below is an excellent summary of thyroid disorders (though the stats are for USA). For more information with an Australian context go to the Australian Thyroid Foundation.
