An Exploration of the Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation Emitted by Mobile Phones and Extremely Low Frequency Radiation on Thyroid Hormones and Thyroid Gland Histopathology

PAPER manual 2021 Review Effect: harm Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17329 Evidence Lab

Abstract

An Exploration of the Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation Emitted by Mobile Phones and Extremely Low Frequency Radiation on Thyroid Hormones and Thyroid Gland Histopathology Alkayyali T, Ochuba O, Srivastava K, Sandhu JK, Joseph C, Ruo SW, Jain A, Waqar A, Poudel S. An Exploration of the Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation Emitted by Mobile Phones and Extremely Low Frequency Radiation on Thyroid Hormones and Thyroid Gland Histopathology. Cureus. 2021 Aug 20;13(8):e17329. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17329. Abstract The use of mobile phones has widely increased over the last two decades. Mobile phones produce a radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF), a form of non-ionizing radiation. In contrast to the ionizing radiation proven to cause DNA damage, the harmful effects of non-ionizing radiation on the human body have not been discovered yet. The thyroid gland is among the most susceptible organs to mobile phone radiation due to its location in the anterior neck. Our purpose in this literature review is to explore the effects of the electromagnetic field (EMF), especially radiofrequency emitted from mobile phones, on thyroid hormones and thyroid gland histopathology. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases for relevant studies published after the year 2000, using the following keywords: 'cell phones', 'mobile phones', 'telephones', 'electromagnetic fields', 'radiofrequency radiation', 'microwaves', 'thyroid gland', 'thyroid hormones', and 'thyroid cancer'. Our review revealed that mobile phone radiofrequency radiation (RFR) might be associated with thyroid gland insufficiency and alterations in serum thyroid hormone levels, with a possible disruption in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. The review also showed histopathological changes in the thyroid gland follicles after exposure of rats to non-ionizing radiation. The results were directly related to the amount and duration of exposure to EMF radiation. Further human studies exploring thyroid gland hormones, microscopic morphology, and thyroid cancer are highly recommended for future researches. Conclusions This article aimed to explore the effects of RF-EMF and ELF-EMF on the thyroid gland hormones and histopathology. Studies collected in this review showed that GSM mobile phone RFR could be associated with alterations in T3, T4, and TSH serum hormone levels. EMF emitted from mobile phones could disrupt the function of the HPT axis and lead to thyroid insufficiency. In addition, EMF could lead to hyperstimulation of thyroid gland follicles, causing oxidative stress and apoptosis of follicular cells. Most studies revealed a proportional correlation between thyroid gland dysfunction and the exposure duration, intensity, and SAR value of radiation. Moreover, non-ionizing radiation was seen to be significantly associated with histopathological changes in the thyroid gland follicles. The exposure duration and intensity also determined the degree of morphological damage occurring in the thyroid gland tissue. Non-ionizing EMF radiation might be responsible for the recent increase in the incidence of thyroid insufficiency and cancer in the general population. However, not enough data was found related to thyroid cancer risk with non-ionizing radiation exposure. Keeping in mind the ethical considerations, we recommend future observational studies be conducted on human beings to further explore the association of non-ionizing radiation emitted from mobile phones on the thyroid gland's hormones, histopathology, and cancers over the long term. Open access paper: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Review

Effect direction

harm

Population

—

Sample size

—

Exposure

RF mobile phone

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 72% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

This literature review reports that mobile phone radiofrequency radiation might be associated with alterations in serum thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4, TSH) and possible disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, with findings described as related to exposure amount and duration. It also reports histopathological changes in thyroid follicles in rat studies after non-ionizing radiation exposure, and notes insufficient data to assess thyroid cancer risk.

Outcomes measured

Thyroid hormones (T3, T4, TSH)
Thyroid gland histopathology (follicular changes)
Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis disruption
Thyroid insufficiency
Thyroid cancer risk (discussed as limited data)

Limitations

Narrative literature review; no systematic review methods or meta-analysis described in the abstract
Search strategy details (inclusion/exclusion criteria, study quality assessment) not reported in the abstract
Human evidence described as limited; authors call for further observational studies
Thyroid cancer evidence described as insufficient

Suggested hubs

cell-phones (0.95)
Focuses on RF-EMF emitted by mobile phones and thyroid-related outcomes.

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "publication_year": 2021,
    "study_type": "review",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": "mobile phone",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": null,
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Thyroid hormones (T3, T4, TSH)",
        "Thyroid gland histopathology (follicular changes)",
        "Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis disruption",
        "Thyroid insufficiency",
        "Thyroid cancer risk (discussed as limited data)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "This literature review reports that mobile phone radiofrequency radiation might be associated with alterations in serum thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4, TSH) and possible disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, with findings described as related to exposure amount and duration. It also reports histopathological changes in thyroid follicles in rat studies after non-ionizing radiation exposure, and notes insufficient data to assess thyroid cancer risk.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Narrative literature review; no systematic review methods or meta-analysis described in the abstract",
        "Search strategy details (inclusion/exclusion criteria, study quality assessment) not reported in the abstract",
        "Human evidence described as limited; authors call for further observational studies",
        "Thyroid cancer evidence described as insufficient"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7199999999999999733546474089962430298328399658203125,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "stance": "concern",
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    "summary": "This 2021 literature review examined studies since 2000 on RF-EMF from mobile phones and ELF-EMF in relation to thyroid hormones and thyroid histopathology. The authors report that mobile phone radiofrequency radiation might be associated with changes in T3, T4, and TSH and possible disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, with effects described as related to exposure duration and intensity. The review also describes thyroid follicular histopathological changes in rat studies after non-ionizing radiation exposure, while noting insufficient data regarding thyroid cancer risk.",
    "key_points": [
        "The paper is a literature review focused on RF-EMF from mobile phones and ELF-EMF effects on the thyroid.",
        "The authors report possible associations between mobile phone RF exposure and altered serum thyroid hormones (T3, T4, TSH).",
        "The review suggests potential disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and thyroid insufficiency in the collected studies.",
        "Animal studies summarized in the review reported thyroid follicular histopathological changes after non-ionizing radiation exposure.",
        "The authors state that reported effects were proportional to exposure duration, intensity, and SAR in many studies.",
        "The review notes that evidence was insufficient to determine thyroid cancer risk and calls for more human observational research."
    ],
    "categories": [
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        "Animal Evidence",
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    "tags": [
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        "Radiofrequency Radiation",
        "RF-EMF",
        "ELF-EMF",
        "Thyroid Hormones",
        "TSH",
        "T3",
        "T4",
        "Thyroid Histopathology",
        "HPT Axis",
        "Oxidative Stress",
        "Apoptosis",
        "Thyroid Insufficiency",
        "Thyroid Cancer"
    ],
    "keywords": [
        "cell phones",
        "mobile phones",
        "electromagnetic fields",
        "radiofrequency radiation",
        "microwaves",
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        "thyroid hormones",
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    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "cell-phones",
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            "reason": "Focuses on RF-EMF emitted by mobile phones and thyroid-related outcomes."
        }
    ],
    "social": {
        "tweet": "Review (Cureus, 2021) reports that studies since 2000 suggest mobile phone RF-EMF may be associated with changes in thyroid hormones (T3/T4/TSH) and possible HPT-axis disruption; animal studies described thyroid follicle histopathology changes, while thyroid cancer data were limited.",
        "facebook": "A 2021 Cureus literature review examined research on mobile phone RF-EMF and ELF-EMF exposure and thyroid outcomes. The authors report possible associations with altered thyroid hormones (T3, T4, TSH) and describe thyroid follicular histopathology changes in rat studies, but note insufficient data on thyroid cancer risk and call for more human studies.",
        "linkedin": "Cureus (2021) literature review: studies published since 2000 suggest mobile phone RF-EMF may be associated with altered thyroid hormones (T3/T4/TSH) and possible HPT-axis disruption; animal studies summarized reported thyroid follicular histopathology changes. The authors highlight limited evidence regarding thyroid cancer and recommend further human observational research."
    }
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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