Graves' Disease (cont.)

Both men and women can get Graves' disease. But it affects women 10 times more often than men. Graves' disease occurs in people of all ages, but most often starts in the 20s and 30s. People who get Graves' disease often have family members who have thyroid or other autoimmune diseases. People who get Graves' disease sometimes have other autoimmune diseases, such as:

• Vitiligo (vit-ihl-EYE-goh) — a disease that destroys the cells that give your skin its color
  
  
• Rheumatoid arthritis — a disease that affects the lining of the joints throughout the body
  
  
• Addison's disease — a disease that affects the adrenal glands, which make hormones that help your body respond to stress and regulate your blood pressure and water and salt balance
  
  
• Type 1 diabetes — a disease that causes blood sugar levels to be too high
  
  
• Pernicious (pur-NISH-uhss) anemia — a disease that keeps your body from absorbing vitamin B12 and making enough healthy red blood cells
  
  
• Lupus — a disease that can damage many parts of the body, such as the joints, skin, blood vessels, and other organs

Many factors are thought to play a role in getting Graves' disease. These might include:

• Genes. Some people are prone to Graves' disease because of their genes. Researchers are working to find the gene or genes involved.
  
  
• Gender. Sex hormones might play a role, and might explain why Graves' disease affects more women than men.
  
  
• Stress. Severe emotional stress or trauma might trigger the onset of Graves' disease in people who are prone to getting it.
  
  
• Pregnancy. Pregnancy affects the thyroid. As many as 30 percent of young women who get Graves' disease have been pregnant in the 12 months prior to the onset of symptoms. This suggests that pregnancy might trigger Graves' disease in some women.
  
  
• Infection. Infection might play a role in the onset of Graves' disease, but no studies have shown infection to directly cause Graves' disease.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/graves_disease/article.htm