People with hypothyroidism may experience significant impaired driving

People with hypothyroidism may experience significant impaired driving -

People with hypothyroidism may experience significant behavior problems similar to those in state impaired driving by alcohol, a new study. The findings were presented Sunday at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society. ICE / ENDO 2014 in Chicago

hypothyroidism, insufficient thyroid hormone, is very common and has been known to cause of many bodily functions disorders, including brain function. So far the studies are not sufficiently explored the extent of brain damage and hypothyroidism if people are safe drivers, said the principal investigator of the study, Kenneth Ain, MD, of the University of Kentucky and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, KY.

"We found that hypothyroidism patients being tested on a driving simulator had a performance similar to that of drivers with a BAC above the legal limit in the United States," said co Charles-author Smith, MD, also of the University of Kentucky. "physicians should warn their hypothyroid patients to avoid driving until they have been adequately treated with thyroid hormone."

in this study, thirty-two patients with thyroid cancer, who were being prepared for the digitization of radioactive iodine by stopping thyroid hormone, were assessed with a battery of neurological and psychological tests, as well that tests on a driving simulator. they were studied when they were taking thyroid hormone, once when they were out of the thyroid hormone, and then finally when they were back on the hormonal treatment of the thyroid.

hypothyroidism patients had depression and also showed a decline in neurological function which has increased braking times of the automobile; similar to driver performance with a level of 0.082 g / 100 ml of blood alcohol. Taking thyroid hormones reversed these effects.

"Our results uncover a danger to public health and personal potential in regard to impaired drivers hypothyroidism," said Ain.