Asociación entre la exposición medioambiental a plaguicidas y enfermedades tiroideas

Abstract

Occupational and environmental exposure to pesticides has been associated with thyroid dysfunction, particularly changes in circulating thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This study assessed the association between environmental exposure to pesticides and the risk of developing thyroid diseases in people living in areas with high and low exposure to pesticide use. A case-control study was carried out among the population that resided in various health districts of the Andalusian community, classifying them in areas of high and low environmental exposure to the use of pesticides, according to agronomic criteria. The study population consisted of 79.431 individuals diagnosed with hypothyroidism, goiter, thyrotoxicosis and thyroiditis (according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) and 1.484.257 controls, matched by age, sex and area of residence. Data were collected from the computerized hospital records "CMBD" for the period 1998 to 2015. Prevalence rates and risk having thyroid diseases were significantly higher in areas with higher pesticides use, with a 49% greater risk for hypothyroidism, 45% for thyrotoxicosis, 20% for thyroiditis and 5% for goiter. This study suggest the existence of a possible association between environmental exposure to pesticides and thyroid gland diseases