How Your Thyroid Health and Diabetes Are Linked

It’s easy to think about conditions like thyroid problems or diabetes independently. But our body’s systems are closely connected, and these two conditions influence each other more than some people realise.

Let's explore the link between your thyroid and diabetes, so you can be more informed about your health.

What does your thyroid do?

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that’s found in your neck. It’s responsible for how quickly your body uses energy, also known as your metabolism.

This can affect things such as:

• Energy levels
• Heart rate
• Body temperature
• Weight

How does thyroid health impact diabetes?

Both are part of the endocrine system, the network of glands that produces and regulates hormones. As a result, endocrine disorders can impact things like your metabolism, growth, and mood.

Thyroid hormones help to regulate your metabolism, and your metabolism is linked to how your body processes sugar. If you experience an imbalance with your thyroid hormones, it can make managing blood sugar more challenging for your body.

There are two main types of thyroid conditions:

Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

Having an underactive thyroid can cause:

• Your metabolism to slow down
• Weight gain becoming more likely
• Your body to become less responsive to insulin

This can make it harder to manage blood sugar levels and may increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes over time.

Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

Having an overactive thyroid can cause:

• Your metabolism to speed up
• Your body to release glucose into the bloodstream quicker
• Insulin to be broken down faster

This can lead to higher blood sugar levels and make diabetes more difficult to control.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body processes sugar (glucose), which is your main source of energy.

There are two main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, but it can develop at any age. It’s an autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells.

Type 1 diabetes can lead to high blood sugar because your body can’t make a hormone called insulin.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults and it’s often linked to lifestyle factors like diet, weight, and activity levels. It can develop slowly and may go unnoticed for years.

Type 2 diabetes can lead to high blood sugar because your body can't make enough insulin, or the insulin it makes may not working properly.

How does diabetes impact thyroid health?

Having diabetes can increase your likelihood of developing a thyroid condition, particularly for those with Type 1 diabetes. This is because Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. The immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells. In some people, this same process can affect the thyroid gland.

Up to 30% of adults with Type 1 diabetes will also develop an autoimmune thyroid disorder. And those with Type 2 diabetes also have a higher likelihood of thyroid dysfunction compared to the general population.

If you have diabetes, it’s important to monitor your thyroid health as part of your ongoing care.

What are the overlapping symptoms?

Both diabetes and thyroid conditions share several symptoms, which can sometimes make diagnosis tricky. These include:

• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight fluctuations
• Anxiety or ‘brain fog’
• Changes in heart rate

Because of this overlap, it’s common to assume symptoms are due to one condition when another may be present. Untreated thyroid disease in diabetics can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications, so it’s important to get routine screening if you live with one of these conditions.

At Bluecrest, the majority of our packages include testing for diabetes. Our base package for corporate employees, Business Health Plus, includes a glucose blood test which measures your glucose levels at the time the test is taken. Our other packages, Business Health Extra, Comprehensive, and Executive, include Advanced Diabetes testing which measures your HbA1c. This test measures the average amount of glucose in your blood over the last 2-3 months.

Want to find out insights about your health? Book your health assessment today!

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Need help? You can reach out to our corporate team on 0808 168 9219