Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley says she has Graves’ disease. What is it?
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Daisy Ridley, who starred as the character Rey in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy, said in a recent Women’s Health magazine interview that she has Graves’ disease. The British actress said she was diagnosed in September last year. Ridley initially shrugged the symptoms off, thinking they were due to a high-stress acting role.
The 32-year-old said she experienced hot flashes and fatigue before her diagnosis. She also experienced a racing heart rate, weight loss and hand tremors.
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Here’s what to know about the disease.
What is Graves’ disease?
The autoimmune disorder affects the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the lower front of the neck. The disease causes the body to make excessive amounts of thyroid hormone, which in normal amounts helps “the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working appropriately,” according to the American Thyroid Association.
It is named after Robert James Graves, a 19th-century Irish physician.
What causes Graves’ disease?
The exact causes of Graves’ disease are not known.
It involves a malfunction of the immune system, which is designed to fight viruses or harmful bacteria that invade our bodies. In Graves’ disease, the immune system creates antibodies that “bind to receptors on the surface of thyroid cells and stimulate those cells to overproduce and release thyroid hormones.”
Some researchers believe some patients may have a genetic predisposition to the condition, according to Yale Medicine, making them more vulnerable to getting the disease due to infections, change in hormone levels or having abnormally high iodine levels. Smoking also raises the risk, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What are the symptoms of Graves’ disease?
Symptoms include a racing heartbeat, hand tremors, trouble sleeping, weight loss and muscle weakness, according to the American Thyroid Association. Other symptoms can include diminished sexual desire, more frequent bowel movements and discoloured skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The disease can also cause “inflammation of the eyes, swelling of the tissues around the eyes and bulging of the eyes,” according to the association. “We do not know why, but problems with the eyes occur much more often and are more severe in people with Graves’ disease who smoke cigarettes,” it added.
Graves’ eye disease can also be called Graves’ ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease.
Ridley told Women’s Health that she initially attributed her symptoms to the stress of her role in the psychological thriller “Magpie,” where she plays a long-suffering wife in a toxic marriage.
Who is at risk for Graves’ disease?
Graves’ disease is more common in women than in men and in people over the age of 30, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK. The risks are higher for those with a family history of the disease, or for people who have other autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and vitiligo.
Globally, it is the most frequent cause of hyperthyroidism. It affects 3 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men across the world, according to 2018 guidelines by the European Thyroid Association.
The disease affects nearly one in 100 Americans, according to researchers.
Approximately 10 million people across Europe and North America suffer from it, according to the European Commission.
Ridley is not the only high-profile figure to be diagnosed with the disease: First lady Barbara Bush was diagnosed in 1989 and her husband, former president George H.W. Bush, came down with it ahead of the 1992 election.
Rapper Missy Elliott was diagnosed in 2008. At a music industry event in 2018, she said that at one point she was so sick she “couldn’t even lift a pen.”
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How is Graves’ disease treated?
Graves’ disease is treated with medicines including beta-blockers that help regulate a person’s heart rate as well as antithyroid medications. Radioiodine therapy is also used to kill overactive thyroid cells. Less frequently, surgery may be required to remove part or all of the thyroid gland, according to the NIDDK.
Eye drops can help relieve the symptoms of Graves’ eye disease. Sometimes special lenses are required to correct double vision.
Dietary changes can help, too. The official health advice is to avoid foods that have large amounts of iodine – such as kelp or seaweed – which may worsen thyroid conditions.
Elliott told ABC News in 2011 that she managed her condition through diet and exercise, after taking medication for a while. Ridley told Women’s Health that she made some dietary changes. “I am not super strict about it, but generally cutting down on gluten makes me feel better,” she said.
For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.
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