Epidemiologic Association between Obesity and Thyroid Nodules

ABSTRACT

Recently, the incidence of thyroid nodule has been rising due to the usage of ultrasonography in health check-up. Also, modern society is faced with increasing rates of obesity by sedentary life style and high caloric intake. Obesity is closely related to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to hyperinsulinemia, increased insulin-like growth factor 1 and alteration of adipocytokine level. These factors not only have a role in metabolic regulation, but they also have mitogenic effect in cell proliferation. Epidemiologic and clinical evidence about the association between obesity and thyroid nodule are reviewed in this section.