Thyroid gland, which is shaped like a butterfly, is an important endocrine gland and one of the largest in the body. It is situated below the larynx, on each side of and in front of the trachea. In adults, it typically weighs between 15 to 20 grams. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing two important hormones called T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronines), which are essential for controlling the body's metabolism. These hormones significantly elevate the body's metabolic rate [1,2].

A common hormonal disorder called hypothyroidism is characterized by a reduction in thyroid hormone production. The prevalence of this disease varies throughout countries. Biochemically, it is characterized by elevated blood concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and decreasing serum levels of T3 and T4. It's crucial to keep in mind that women are more likely than men to suffer hypothyroidism. [3,4,5]. Patients with hypothyroidism are susceptible to cardiovascular problems, particularly arrhythmias, hypertension, and ventricular failure. pericardial effusion, and ischemic heart disease [6].

Researchers suggested that some trace element plays a role in exposure to thyroid dysfunction [7]. Recent studies suggest that stress has been found to impact the immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems, potentially contributing to thyroid problems [8].

A common mental illness known as posttraumatic stress disorder affects people who have experienced severely upsetting and traumatic events, such as abuse, violence, or combat as children [9].Genetic changes or mutations, as well as the interactions between several genes, might affect the metabolism of thyroid hormones and the onset of thyroid disorders [10]. Another factor that is thought to increase the likelihood of hypothyroidism is a family history of thyroid disease [11].

From September 2021 to February 2022, we gathered information from 75 women in the age range of 15 to 49. Participants in the study were split up into two groups. Sixty individuals from the first group were referred to particular laboratories located in Kirkuk City. Ten healthy individuals made up the second group, which acted as the control group. Serologic testing was performed on each subject to verify the existence of hypothyroidism as reported by a physician. The patients answered questionnaires as part of the data gathering procedure after the exams. Following the collection of blood samples, the serum was kept in a refrigerator between 8 and 2 degrees Celsius until the required quantity of samples was obtained. A complete auto analyzer ) Beakman Coulter Access 2( was utilized to measure the hormone levels in the samples that were obtained. This analyzer uses an immune-fluorescence assay technique. The findings and Analysis:

The current study showed no statistically significant difference (p≤0.35) in age between the hypothyroidism patient group and the control group, as seen in Table 1.

The study's findings showed a noteworthy increase in TSH hormone levels, pointing to a considerable increase in. Furthermore, Table 2 displays a significant drop in T4 hormone levels (P]≤]0.001). Nevertheless, no appreciable variations in T3 hormone levels were found.

These results are consistent with previous study by researchers [12] and [13], who similarly noted a statistically significant rise in serum TSH levels in the primary hypothyroidism group relative to the control group.

Our findings indicated the proportion of patients in the hypothyroid group with a family history of hypothyroidism increased to 55.39 percent. These findings are consistent with those of [14], who discovered that 54% of patients had a history of thyroid dysfunction. Additionally, ringold et al. [14] confirmed that genetic factors play a significant role in hypothyroidism, and Thomsen and his assistant discovered that hypothyroidism is more genetically transmitted than hyperthyroidism. [16]

According to the current study, before receiving a hypothyroidism diagnosis, 49.23% of the hypothyroid patients experienced a trauma such as terrorism, family issues, or near-death experiences. Studies have demonstrated a connection between hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis dysfunction and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [17]. According to Gold et al. [18], thyroid issues may also be linked to PTSD symptoms. Thyroid abnormalities can result in depression and other health issues.

According to Helmreich et al. [19], stress, whether acute or chronic, can affect thyroid hormone output. They propose that corticosterone, which is produced when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated and is greatly influenced by stress, may regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.In addition, a study discovered that people with PTSD were more likely to develop autoimmune conditions including Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Hashimoto's disease, one of the most common autoimmune disorders worldwide, is the main cause of hypothyroidism in Americans. [20].

Table 1: Characteristics of hypothyroid patients and control group

Table 2: serum levels of T4 and T3 and TSH

The study found that there is a connection between hypothyroidism and post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD).

1. Guyton, A. and Hall, J. “Text book of medical physiology.” 14th ed., Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia, USA, 2021, pp. 941–972.

2. Chaudhary, P. et al. “Levator glandulae thyroideae: A fibromusculoglandular band with absence of pyramidal lobe and its innervation: A case report.” J. Clin. Diag. Res., vol. 7, no. 7, 2013, pp. 1421–1424.

3. Guerrero, A. et al. “Effect of thyroid status on lipid composition and peroxidation in the mouse liver.” Free Radical Biology and Medicine, vol. 26, no. 1–2, 1999, pp. 73–80.

4. Lingidi, J.L. et al. “Serum lipids and oxidative stress in hypothyroidism.” Journal of Advance Researches in Biological Sciences, vol. 5, no. 1, 2013, pp. 63–66.

5. Guohua, S. et al. “Graves' disease following radioiodine therapy for toxic adenoma.” Medicine, vol. 96, no. 1, 2017, pp. 45–50.

6. Zangana, S.M. “Cardiovascular manifestations of primary hypothyroidism.” Medical Journal of Babylon, vol. 12, no. 2, 2015.

7. Ahmad, M.K. and Aeyd, R. “Determination of some trace elements Zn, Cu and Fe in the blood serum for patients with thyroid disease in middle and south of Iraq using atomic absorption spectrophotometer.” Kirkuk University Journal - Scientific Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, 2007, pp. 49–63.

8. Plaza, A. et al. “Childhood sexual abuse and hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis in postpartum major depression.” Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 122, no. 1, 2010, pp. 159–163.

9. Jung, S.J. et al. “Posttraumatic stress disorder and incidence of thyroid dysfunction in women.” Psychological Medicine, vol. 1, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718003495.

10. Cortés, J.M.R. and Zerón, H.M. “Genetics of thyroid disorders.” Folia Medica (Plovdiv), vol. 61, no. 2, 2019, pp. 172–179. https://doi.org/10.2478/folmed-2018-0078.

11. “Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).” Mayo Clinic, 10 Dec. 2022. Accessed 7 Mar. 2023.

12. Abdullah, Y.J. et al. “Incidence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and its relationship to age, sex, smoking and blood groups.” NTU Journal of Pure Sciences, vol. 1, no. 2, 2022, pp. 1–9.

13. Aati, E.K. et al. “Effect of hypothyroidism on lipid profile in women at Misan City/Iraq.” Medical Journal of Babylon, vol. 17, no. 1, 2020, p. 1.

14. Villanueva, R. et al. “Sibling recurrence risk in autoimmune thyroid disease.” Thyroid, vol. 13, no. 8, 2003, pp. 761–764.

15. Ringold, D.A. et al. “Further evidence for a strong genetic influence on the development of autoimmune thyroid disease: The California twin study.” Thyroid, vol. 12, no. 8, 2002, pp. 647–653.

16. Thomsen, H. et al. “Familial risks between Graves disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis and other autoimmune diseases in the population of Sweden.” Journal of Translational Autoimmunity, vol. 3, no. 1, 2020, p. 100058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtauto.2020.100058.

17. Olff, M. et al. “HPA- and HPT-axis alterations in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 31, no. 10, 2006, pp. 1220–1230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2006.09.003.

18. Gold, M.S. et al. “Hypothyroidism and depression: Evidence from complete thyroid function evaluation.” Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 245, no. 1, 1981, pp. 1919–1922.

19. Helmreich, D.L. et al. “Relation between the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during repeated stress.” Neuroendocrinology, vol. 81, no. 3, 2005, pp. 183–192. https://doi.org/10.1159/000087001.

20. O'Donovan, A. et al. “Elevated risk for autoimmune disorders in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.” Biological Psychiatry, vol. 77, no. 4, 2015, pp. 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.015.