Section of Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Clinical Directorate, University Hospital Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 16;17(12):4295. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124295.
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 pathological characteristics over time and risk factors in the workplace. This may support a comprehensive, interdisciplinary management of thyroid disorders, with benefits for patients' personal, social and professional life.
甲状腺疾病的特征是广泛的身心症状，这些症状会影响患者的生物功能、情绪和社会生活。然而，它们对工作功能的影响尚未完全了解。因此，本综述旨在探讨甲状腺疾病影响职业结果的方式，即患者的就业率、病假、工作能力和工作收入。对 Pubmed、Scopus 和 ISI Web of Knowledge 数据库进行了系统综述。尽管不可能为良性病变推断出确切的数据，但大约三分之一的甲状腺癌幸存者可能失业。与对照组相比，甲状腺功能亢进和甲状腺功能减退症患者的长期病假风险更高，具体取决于疾病的严重程度。大约三分之一的甲状腺功能亢进症患者的工作能力受损，特别是伴有复视的眼肌病的情况下。我们的综述结果表明，甲状腺疾病可能对各种职业结果产生影响，但似乎需要进一步研究，以了解工作问题、特定病理特征随时间的变化以及工作场所中的风险因素之间的关系。这可能为甲状腺疾病的综合、跨学科管理提供支持，从而使患者在个人、社会和职业生活中受益。
