January is Thyroid Awareness Month, an opportunity to shine a light on a small but vital gland that plays an outsized role in our overall health. The thyroid helps regulate metabolism, heart rate, energy levels, mood and brain development. When it is not functioning properly, the effects can be serious, long-lasting and often overlooked.
Millions of Americans are living with thyroid disease, many without knowing it. This lack of awareness is especially concerning in Black and Brown communities, where individuals are more likely to be diagnosed later and experience worse health outcomes. At Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, we see these disparities firsthand.
Research consistently shows that racial and ethnic minorities face delays in diagnosis, are more likely to present with advanced or aggressive thyroid disease, and are less likely to receive timely or appropriate treatment. These inequities are driven by systemic barriers, including
limited access to care, a lack of culturally responsive health education and gaps in preventive screening. While no single solution can eliminate these disparities, one powerful and accessible step can make a meaningful difference: knowing and sharing your family health history.
Family health history offers health care providers critical insight into conditions that tend to run in families, including thyroid disorders and autoimmune diseases. When patients share this information, providers can better assess risk, decide when screening should begin, identify
symptoms that warrant closer monitoring and tailor care to the individual. In partnership, patients and providers can also develop strategies to reduce risk and detect problems earlier, when treatment is most effective.
Thyroid disease can take many forms. An underactive thyroid may cause symptoms such as fatigue, depression, weight gain and sensitivity to cold. An overactive thyroid may present with anxiety, muscle weakness, weight loss and heart palpitations. While symptoms differ, untreated
thyroid conditions often lead to similar consequences, including increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility and complications during pregnancy.
Importantly, collecting your family health history does not require medical training. It begins with conversations. Talk with parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles about thyroid conditions, autoimmune disorders, cancers and other chronic illnesses. Write down what you learn and bring it to your medical appointment. Even incomplete information can help guide better care and support more informed health decisions.
As a community health center committed to health equity and a City Council Member representing a diverse district, we share a responsibility to promote proactive and preventive care. Empowering individuals with knowledge builds trust, strengthens patient-provider relationships and improves outcomes, particularly in communities that have long faced barriers to care.
This Thyroid Awareness Month, take a proactive step. Talk with your family about your health history. Document what you learn. Share it with your health care provider. Ask about your personal risk for thyroid disease and whether screening is right for you.
Knowing your family health history is not just about understanding where you come from. It is about protecting where you are going.
