IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 4295: The Impact of Thyroid Diseases on the Working Life of Patients: A Systematic Review

IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 4295: The Impact of Thyroid Diseases on the Working Life of Patients: A Systematic Review International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124295 Authors: Veruscka Leso Ilaria Vetrani Luigi De Cicco Alessandro Cardelia Luca Fontana Gaetano Buonocore Ivo Iavicoli Thyroid diseases are characterized by a wide range of physical and mental symptoms that can affect biological function, emotional and social life of patients. However, their impact on work functioning is not yet fully understood. Therefore, this review aims to address the way in which thyroid diseases can affect occupational outcomes, i.e., the employment rate, sick leave, working capacity and work income of patients. A systematic review of Pubmed, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge databases has been performed. Although it is not possible to extrapolate precise data for benign pathologies, about a third of the survivors of thyroid cancer could be unemployed. Hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients presented a greater risk of long-term sick leave than controls, depending on the severity of the disease. Hyperthyroidism impaired working ability in about a third of affected patients, particularly in cases complicated by orbitopathy with diplopia. A possible influence of thyroid diseases on various occupational outcomes emerged from our review, however further research seems necessary to understand the relationship between work problems, specific ...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research