ObjectiveThe occurrence of thyroid disease varies among populations. While the iodine nutrition level of the Faroese seems to have been decreasing over the past decades, there is no systematic evaluation of the thyroid disease pattern in the Faroe Islands. Such knowledge of thyroid disease occurrence in the North Atlantic region may support healthcare planning and prevention. To investigate incidence rates, including subtypes of thyroid diseases, and demographic characteristics of thyroid disease patients in the Faroe Islands, to improve understanding of the patterns and trends of these disorders.Design and MethodA registry‐based observational study was conducted over 10 years, encompassing all adult Faroese individuals. Patients and Measurements: Health records from general practitioners and hospitals were used to identify incident cases of thyroid diseases. Validation was performed using multiple data sources. The incidence rates were standardised using population data from the middle of the study period 2006–2018.ResultsAmong the 1152 individuals diagnosed with thyroid disease, the standardised incidence rates per 100,000 person‐years were 55 for hyperthyroidism and 112 for hypothyroidism, and around four times higher in women than in men. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was the dominant cause of hypothyroidism, while Graves' disease was the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. The incidence of hypothyroidism increases with age. A decreasing trend was observed over time for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.ConclusionConsidering the decrease in iodine nutrition levels over the past decades, we were surprised by the high incidence of autoimmune thyroid disease. The findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring of thyroid disease occurrence in coastal areas of the North Atlantic Ocean.

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法罗群岛甲状腺疾病发病率的全国性登记观察研究

目的不同人群甲状腺疾病的发生情况存在差异。虽然法罗群岛人的碘营养水平在过去几十年里似乎一直在下降，但目前还没有对法罗群岛甲状腺疾病模式进行系统评估。对北大西洋地区甲状腺疾病发生情况的了解可能有助于医疗保健规划和预防。旨在调查法罗群岛甲状腺疾病的发病率，包括甲状腺疾病的亚型和人口统计特征，以增进对这些疾病的模式和趋势的了解。设计和方法进行了 10 多年的基于登记的观察性研究，包括所有成年法罗群岛人。患者和测量：全科医生和医院的健康记录用于识别甲状腺疾病的病例。使用多个数据源进行验证。使用2006年至2018年研究中期的人口数据对发病率进行标准化。结果在1152名被诊断患有甲状腺疾病的人中，每10万人年的标准化发病率为甲状腺功能亢进症55例，甲状腺功能减退症112例，约为甲状腺功能减退症的四倍。女性高于男性。桥本甲状腺炎是甲状腺功能减退的主要原因，而格雷夫斯病是甲状腺功能亢进的主要原因。甲状腺功能减退症的发病率随着年龄的增长而增加。随着时间的推移，甲状腺功能减退症和甲状腺功能亢进症均呈下降趋势。结论考虑到过去几十年碘营养水平的下降，我们对自身免疫性甲状腺疾病的高发病率感到惊讶。研究结果强调需要持续监测北大西洋沿海地区甲状腺疾病的发生情况。