Thyroid Disease

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• Definition
• Introduction
• Signs & Symptoms
• Research Summary

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Executive Summary

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Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Research into Chinese medicine treatment for Thyroid Disease" summarising the research below and using language that can be easily understood by patients and avoiding medical jargon using a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Researched Chinese medicine treatments for Thyroid Disease" summarising the research below in an objective and easy to understand way, and using language that can be easily understood by patients. Group the article into Chinese medicine treatments first, followed by nutrition and other treatments. Avoid using medical jargon and use a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write me a concise but easy to understand executive summary on the topic of "Chinese medicine treatments for Thyroid Disease" based on the following research that I will give you. Your summary should be 2 paragraphs long in Australian English spelling and include references to the studies.

A Systematic Review published in 2026 in the journal Medicine found that Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment may influence thyroid-related biomarkers in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis. The research was conducted through a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis, aimed at understanding the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion cake on thyroid function in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis. The scholars conducted an unrestricted search across seven databases, namely, four international databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) and three Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) up until March 29, 2024. The data was analyzed using Review Manager, Version 5.3, and was assessed based on the mean difference to evaluate the role of acupuncture or moxibustion on biomarker levels in Hashimoto thyroiditis. Upon carefully reviewing 306 records identified from the databases, 15 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The discussion of the results revealed that acupuncture group reported changes in levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody, thyroglobulin antibody, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. A similar pattern was seen in the moxibustion group. However, they also noted that the evidence gathered was highly limited due to the presence of methodological weaknesses, heterogeneity, and publication bias. This precludes the feasibility of presenting reliable clinical recommendations at this stage.

A Randomised Controlled Trial published in 2025 in the journal American Journal of Translational Research found that Jie Yu Xiao Yin, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, when combined with levothyroxine, enhances thyroid function and reduces autoantibodies and inflammatory substances in patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. In this study, ninety patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, between 2020 and 2022, were randomly assigned to two groups: one treated with Jie Yu Xiao Yin plus levothyroxine, and the other with only levothyroxine for a period of 12 weeks. The therapy was administered in doses of 300 mL per day for Jie Yu Xiao Yin and 12.5 to 25 micrograms per day for levothyroxine. Various parameters such as thyroid hormones, antibodies, interleukins, transforming growth factor-beta, and Traditional Chinese Medicine scores were measured at the outset and at intervals of 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Notably, 86 patients, 44 from the treatment group and 42 from controls, made it through the entire course of the study. The initial testing parameters were similar between both groups. By the end of the 12th week, a more significant reduction in thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies was observed in the treatment group. Additionally, levels of certain inflammatory substances, like IL-6, IL-17, and transforming growth factor-beta, had notably dropped in the group receiving Jie Yu Xiao Yin. No changes were detected in the levels of IL-10 and IL-12. The Traditional Chinese Medicine scores that assess symptom intensity improved considerably in the treatment group, as did overall clinical efficiency. Therefore, patients receiving Jie Yu Xiao Yin showed improved thyroid function and reduced antibody and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, effectively outdoing the group that was given levothyroxine alone.

A Systematic Review published in 2024 in the journal Heliyon found that Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), used alone or in combination with other treatments, can enhance efficacy and manage side effects in Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) treatment. A comprehensive literature search was executed on multiple databases from 2003 to 2022 for this study on the efficacy and safety of common drugs used for HT. These databases included PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and many others. The study registered 60 trials and 4719 participants altogether examining 16 treatments such as vitamin D, selenium, LT-4, and various combinations of these with different treatments including traditional Chinese medicine. The trials showed encouraging results, as traditional Chinese medicine appeared to have a significant effect in reducing TPOAb levels. Furthermore, some combinations with other therapies were displayed to enhance the effect. Among them, the impact of a regimen involving LT-4 and prednisone, despite not being statistically significant, ranked highest in potentially reducing TPOAb. Meanwhile, selenium plus LT-4 also didn't register as statistically significant, but it shared the top spot in terms of likelihood to decrease TgAb levels. Traditional Chinese medicine followed as the next most likely. Reports on side effects mainly featured the digestive and cardiovascular systems.

A Systematic Review published in 2024 in the journal Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that Herbal medicines may effectively treat Hashimoto's thyroiditis, particularly by reducing thyroid antibody levels and improving symptoms, without impairing thyroid function. The methodology of this research incorporated a Bayesian network meta-analysis on Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients from various randomized controlled trials found in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and other databases, with data compiled up to October 1, 2022. Sixteen distinct trials were evaluated and 16 different herbal medicine formulas were compared. Outcomes of interest included changes in thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb), Free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores and adverse events. Analysis outcomes indicated that all therapies bar one, called Tiaoqi-Qingjie Therapy, demonstrated some level of effectiveness in reducing TPOAb when compared against non-drug therapy. The top three therapies for reducing thyroid antibody levels were Yiqi Huayu Recipe, Liqi Xiaoying decoction, and Shugan Sanjie therapy. Furthermore, each herbal medicine also showcased noteworthy improvements on traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores and possibly improved Hashimoto thyroiditis treatment. No serious negative incidents were reported throughout these trials.

A Systematic Review published in 2024 in the journal Medicine found that Acupuncture demonstrated significant improvement in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis, outperforming oral levothyroxine sodium tablets as it improved thyroid function and patient's life quality. In the methodology of this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the impact of acupuncture versus levothyroxine sodium tablets on Hashimoto thyroiditis. Research was conducted across several databases including the Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, VIP, SinoMed and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials with the intention to identify potential randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In the discussion of results, it became clear that acupuncture had a substantial, favourable effect on patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, based on data from 14 randomized controlled trials involving 1020 patients. The results demonstrated that acupuncture resulted in significantly regulated thyroid-related antibody levels, thyroid function, and quality of life in contrast to the use of levothyroxine sodium tablets alone.

A Randomised Controlled Trial published in 2024 in the journal Integrative Medicine Research found that Hand Yangming Meridian Penetrating Acupuncture may effectively improve symptoms and reduce thyroglobulin antibody levels in Hashimoto's thyroiditis hypothyroidism patients. In the methodology applied, subjects suffering from Hashimoto's thyroiditis were randomly divided into two groups - the acupuncture group which received 16 weeks of Hand Yangming Meridian Penetrating Acupuncture and the waiting group which received thyroxine supplementation for the same duration. Afterward, a 16-week follow-up observation was conducted. The main indicators considered for this trial were serum thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroglobulin antibody levels along with certain health-survey scores. The results show that there was no significant difference in thyroid peroxidase antibody levels between the two groups after treatment. However, the thyroglobulin antibody level in the acupuncture group was significantly lower compared to the waiting group. Also, there was a statistically significant difference in the total health survey scores between the two groups. No statistical difference was noted in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores between the two groups.

A Systematic Review published in 2023 in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology found that Jia Wei Xiao Yao San could potentially enhance the effectiveness of antithyroid drugs in treating hyperthyroidism especially in symptom relief and side effect reduction. To evaluate this claim, a systematic and comprehensive dive into eight databases and three trial registries up until May 2023 was performed. From this, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were earmarked and subjected to further analysis using the Review Manager software application (RevMan 5.4) and Stata 14.0. Assessments of bias in these studies were conducted using the Cochrane risk of bias tool 1.0, while the GRADE tool was implemented for overall quality assessment. In addition, any case reports utilizing JWXYS in singular use and relevant pharmacological studies were summarized for further understanding. This investigation involved 13 RCTs with a total of 979 participants. It was found that, when compared with standalone antithyroid drug treatment, the combination of JWXYS and antithyroid drugs resulted in improved control of thyroid hormones, better efficacy in treating traditional Chinese medicinal syndrome, lesser incidence of goiter, fewer side effects, and lower levels of thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibodies. Furthermore, dosage reduction of antithyroid drugs when used in combination with JWXYS also led to fewer side effects. However, when compared to antithyroid drugs treatment in a single trial, JWXYS showed mixed results indicating it is not recommended for use as a standalone treatment except in patients intolerant to antithyroid drugs. The evaluation of three case reports highlighted that patients may opt for traditional Chinese medicine only as an alternative due to severe side effects and recurrent relapses. Three other pharmacological studies showed the potential of JWXYS in restoring Th17/Treg balance, regulating thyroid cell growth, and alleviating oxidative stress in liver.

A Systematic Review published in 2023 in the journal Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews found that Combining Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) with Western Medicine (WM) could lead to an enhanced clinical outcome in treating hypothyroidism as compared to using WM alone. The methodology of this study employed the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool for assessing the quality of the selected studies and analyzed the results using Review Manager 5.3 software. The strength of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE. A total of 18 randomized controlled trials involving a sample of 1247 patients was included in the study. The primary measures assessed the overall efficacy, effectiveness in treating specific symptoms, and the Traditional Chinese Medicine symptom score. Secondary measures included the levels of FT3, FT4, and TSH, the size of the thyroid gland, and any adverse events experienced. In the discussion of results, the meta-analysis revealed that the employment of CHM in conjunction with WM has a better curative effect, reducing clinical symptoms more effectively than WM alone. The overall results taken from numerous parameters including comprehensive efficacy, syndrome efficacy, TCM symptom score, FT3, FT4, TSH, and thyroid volume substantiated this finding. Regarding the incidence of adverse events, no significant difference was observed between the groups. Therefore, the use of CHM can potentially lead to improved clinical efficacy in treating hypothyroidism.

A Experimental Study published in 2022 in the journal The Anatomical Record found that Pomegranate has been found to alleviate morphological and functional changes in the thyroid glands induced by Lithium Carbonate by controlling apoptosis and oxidative stress. The study divided rats into four groups: control, lithium, lithium-pomegranate, and pomegranate. For eight weeks, the rats were treated according to their respective group assignments. Following this period, they were sacrificed, and an array of assessments were conducted on the extracted thyroid glands. These evaluations included estimated levels of thyroid hormones and markers indicating oxidative stress, along with histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural evaluations of the thyroid tissues. Observations in the group treated with lithium carbonate showed significant changes in thyroid hormone levels along with an increased expression of the oxidant marker and decreased expression of the antioxidant marker. Additionally, histological evaluation highlighted disorganization and follicle involution, a decline in both staining intensity and immunoreactivity of an antioxidant enzyme, an increase in collagen fiber content and Bax immunoreactivity, and marked distortions in follicular ultrastructure. However, in the group treated with both lithium carbonate and pomegranate, most of these changes were substantially mitigated, thereby indicating the potential protective role of pomegranate against lithium-induced alterations.

A Systematic Review published in 2022 in the journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that Chinese herbal medicines combined with antithyroid drugs may offer benefits in lowering relapse rates, reducing the incidence of adverse effects, relieving symptoms, improving thyroid antibody status and thyroid function. The results suggest that traditional Chinese herbal medicines added to other routine treatment have a therapeutic potential for people with hyperthyroidism. However, due to methodological limitations, we could not identify a well‐designed trial to provide strong evidence for Chinese traditional herbal medicine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Thus, we currently cannot recommend any single preparation or formulation for clinical use.

A Systematic Review published in 2021 in the journal Annals of Palliative Medicine found that Chinese medicine could effectively improve thyroid function and the clinical symptoms of patients with diabetic nephropathy. A meta-analysis conducted to evaluate the thyroid function of patients with DN found that it was impaired to varying degrees. Analysis of the clinical efficacy of TCM intervention in the treatment of DN showed that TCM could effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients and improve the treatment effect. However, due to the small sample size, only the curative effect after the treatment was analyzed, and the long-term efficacy of TCM intervention in the treatment of DN remains unknown. Follow-up research of a higher quality involving larger samples, and multi-center RCT trials should be carried out to supplement the deficiencies of this research, and more accurately evaluate the clinical efficacy of TCM intervention in the treatment of DN.

A Systematic Review published in 2021 in the journal Nutrients found that Olive oil and leaf extract derivatives have been demonstrated to stimulate thyroid function in animal studies. In October 2020, a systematic review of literature was conducted to study the effects of olive oil and leaf extract derivatives on thyroid function. The search for relevant information was done using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Evidence was gathered from cellular, animal, and human studies that reported on the impact of these derivatives on thyroid function. 445 articles were identified but only nine were considered based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. All the chosen articles were animal studies involving the oral administration of olive oil, olive leaf extract, or olive pomace residues. The results consistently indicated that these olive derivatives stimulated thyroid activities in euthyroid or hypothyroid animals. The exact mechanisms by which this occurs remain unknown. From the studies evaluated, olive pomace residue was found unsuitable for health supplementation or pharmaceutical use. Despite encouraging results, there isn't much evidence proving beneficial health effects of olive derivatives in humans, and the therapeutic applications particularly in individuals with hypothyroidism, needs further support through human studies.

A Systematic Review published in 2018 in the journal Journal of Integrative Medicine found that Findings indicated reductions in patient symptoms and improvements in biomarkers where acupuncture was used alone or in combination therapy against thyroid-relevant illnesses. Analysing 29 clinical projects that were retrieved from 29 major digital databases and include 1757 patients aged 7–79 years from China, Italy, Korea, Macedonia and Russia, this narrative review offers an overview of the efficacy, and evaluated the safe and cost-effective use of acupuncture against hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and thyroid-relevant illnesses. Findings indicated reductions in patient symptoms and improvements in biomarkers where acupuncture was used alone or in combination therapy. In addition to showing the role of acupuncture as an alternative and complementary medicine or as an adjunctive therapy for curative and rehabilitative purposes, more well-designed researches are needed to achieve reliable data.

A Systematic Review published in 2016 in the journal Annals of Translational Medicine found that Chinese medicine warming and invigorating drugs combined with levothyroxine may improve treatment of hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto disease more than levothyroxine alone. This systematic review pooled several indices of hypothyroidism caused by HT according to “China’s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Disease” and correlation studies. The results showed that the combination of warming and invigorating drugs and levothyroxine increased FT3 and FT4 levels, and reduced TSH, TPOAb, and TGAb levels in patients with hypothyroidism cause by HT more than levothyroxine alone after treatments of 8 weeks or longer. With the exception of FT4, the results were stable. In conclusion, we cautiously recommend prescribing warming and invigorating drugs along with levothyroxine for the treatment of hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto disease. However, high-quality evidence is needed to confirm these results. To guarantee evidence quality, a strict study design, which includes a large sample, an unbiased randomization method, full concealment, proper blinding, and appropriate statistical analyses, is vital. In addition, clinical curative effects of TCM, such as TCM syndromes, should be standardized and unified to reduce clinical heterogeneity and methodology heterogeneity. Finally, a strict registration system for clinical trials is required to remove reporting biases.

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