Higher risk for thyroid diseases in physicians than in the general population: A Taiwan nationwide population-based secondary analysis study

Background: Physicians have high work stress, responsibility for night shifts and chances of exposure to medical radiation, which may increase the risk for thyroid diseases. Aim: We conducted this study to assess the risk for thyroid diseases in physicians, which remain unclear. Design: We used a secondary analysis of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for this study. Methods: After excluding thyroid diseases occurring before 2006 and residents, physicians and general population were identified by matching with age and sex in 2009 in a 1:2 ratio. The risk for thyroid diseases was compared between the physicians and general population and among physicians by tracing their medical histories between 2006 and 2012. Results: In total, 28,649 physicians and 57,298 general population were identified. Physicians had a higher risk for overall thyroid diseases than the general population [odds ratio (OR): 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.47], including individual thyroid disease: thyroid cancer (OR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.22-2.95), hypothyroidism (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.23-2.18) and thyroiditis (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.00-2.19). Conclusions: We showed that physicians had a significantly higher risk for thyroid diseases than the general population.