Quality of Life in Patients with Hyperthyroidism: Where do we stand?

Abstract

Introduction. Increasing interest exists concerning the physical and mental wellbeing of patients with hyperthyroidism. Aim. This review aims at gathering the most updated literature on the quality of life (QoL) in patients with hyperthyroidism. Method: We searched PubMed from inception to May 20, 2020 for English language studies using the following entries: “hyperthyroidism AND quality of life”, “Graves’ disease AND quality of life”, “diffuse toxic goiter AND quality of life”, “toxic nodular goiter AND quality of life”, “subclinical hyperthyroidism AND quality of life”. Thirty-nine papers were finally reviewed. Results: Patients with hyperthyroidism have worse QoL than euthyroid subjects, especially if they have Graves’ disease and Graves’ orbitopathy. Treatment of hyperthyroidism with restoration of euthyroidism may not fully restore QoL even after many years, indicating that such patients have difficulties adapting to and coping with their illness, thus experiencing marked and longstanding limitations in physical, mental and psychosocial functioning. Conclusion. As differences exist on long-term outcomes between therapeutic options for hyperthyroidism, it is logical to hypothesize related differences in long-term changes in QoL. Future clinical and psychological studies could monitor QoL and its related domains across different stages of disease and deepen patients’ trajectories of illness experience and the use of coping strategies to face their condition.