Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Is Hashimoto’s a genetic condition? The short answer is yes but what’s key here is that just because you may have the underlying genetics associated with developing Hashimoto’s doesn’t guarantee that that the disease state will manifest in your body. And this is key. Understanding this genetic component will allow you to live your life in such a way as to avoid certain factors which have the potential to trigger Hashimoto’s. This means you can either a) prevent Hashimoto’s or b) treat your condition upstream if it’s already present. The genes and endogenous factors associated with Hashimoto’s include: - HLA class DR3 and DR5 (there are many others but these are most common) - CTLA4 receptor - PTN22 - Female sex - Pregnancy - Skewed X Chromosome inactivation These by themselves are not enough to trigger the disease, though, as they must be combined with exogenous or environmental factors as well. The environmental factors that trigger these genes include: - High-dose iodine exposure - Infections - Cy