Outlook for thyroid disorders

While relatively complex, the majority of thyroid disorders can be very well managed with medical treatment, and serious complications avoided. Thyroid disorders are generally not life-threatening, thus making the general outlook a good one.

If effectively treated, overactive, and underactive thyroid glands (with or without goitres and nodules) aren’t likely to lead to any long-term adverse effects affecting a person’s life expectancy. Even thyroid cancer currently has low mortality rates (around 5%) if effectively treated, depending on the state of malignancy in the body.

Disorders which are undiagnosed or poorly treated, however, are at higher risk of a worsened condition, which at its worst can be life-threatening.