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Department of Neurology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Wallenberg’s Centre of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Wallenberg’s Centre of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden
Department of Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Objective
Mental fatigue, depression, anxiety, and cognitive complaints are common in Graves’ disease (GD). Our aims were to assess the relationship between these variables in patients with GD during both hyperthyroidism and a long stable euthyroidism.
Methods
A prospective longitudinal case-control study where 65 premenopausal women diagnosed with GD and 65 matched controls were assessed twice with 15 months in between. The first visit for patients was in overt hyperthyroidism and the second after treatment.
Results
During the hyperthyroid phase, mental fatigue, depression, and anxiety were significantly increased for GD patients compared to controls (all P < 0.001). Among GD patients, 89% reported mental fatigue and among controls 14%. No difference in cognitive tests was found. After 15 months, significant improvements for GD patients after treatment were found for the items of mental fatigue, depression, and anxiety (all P < 0.001), but these were unchanged in controls. GD patients reported residual mental fatigue (38%), 23% without depression, and 15% mental fatigue combined with depression. Self-reported cognitive complaints were pronounced while cognitive tests did not reveal any deficiencies.
Conclusion
Mental fatigue and emotional distress are common in the hyperthyroid phase. These improve with treatment but are still more common in GD patients after 15 months of therapy than in controls. The residual mental fatigue is shown to be a phenomenon distinct from depression in this study. This indicates the importance of assessing mental fatigue in GD patients and underlines the need for rehabilitation and healthcare support as fatigue will have consequences for work ability.
Institute of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Wallenberg’s Centre of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
Department of Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
Gothenburg Centre for Person Centred-Care (GPCC), Göteborg, Sweden
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Background
Mood disorders are common in Graves’ disease despite treatment. The pathogenic mechanisms involved are unknown and so is whether previous psychiatric disease influences these symptoms.
Methods
This is a longitudinal study conducted in Sweden on 65 women with newly diagnosed Graves’ disease and 65 matched controls. Participants were examined during hyperthyroidism and after 15 months of treatment. Examinations included blood sampling, and psychiatric testing with the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale for Affective Syndromes and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV – Axis I Disorders. We also performed two analyses of a national population-based registry to determine previous psychiatric diagnoses and previous prescriptions of psychoactive drugs in (i) all patients we asked to participate and (ii) all Swedish women given a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism during 2013–2018, comparing them to matched controls.
Results
There was no increased previous psychiatric comorbidity in Graves’ patients compared to controls. There was no higher prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and prescriptions of psychoactive drugs between (i) included GD patients compared to those who declined participation and (ii) women with a hyperthyroidism diagnosis in 5 years prior to their diagnosis, compared to matched controls. Depression scores and anxiety scores were higher in patients compared to controls both during hyperthyroidism (depression (median (IQR): 7.5 (5.0–9.5) vs 1.0 (0.5–2.5) P < 0.001), anxiety: 7.7 (5.0–11) vs 2.5 (1.0–4.0) P < 0.001) and after treatment (depression: 2.5 (1.5–5.0) vs 1.5 (0.5-3.5) P < 0.05), anxiety: 4.0 (2.5–7.5) vs 3.0 (1.5-5.0) P < 0.05). Patients with a previous psychiatric condition, mild eye symptoms, and a younger age had more anxiety at 15 months compared to patients without these symptoms and a higher age (all p<0.05).
Conclusion
Graves’ disease affects patients’ mood despite treatment. A previous psychiatric condition, mild eye symptoms, and a younger age increase the vulnerability for long-lasting symptoms and require specific attention.
