Thyroid Disorders and Type 1 Diabetes: Autoimmune problems with this small but important gland

For the most part, type 2 diabetes and thyroid disease overlap because they are two of the most common endocrine diseases in the United States.

One exception is that hypothyroidism causes weight gain, which can possibly lead to insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes, says IHPI member Peter Arvan, professor of internal medicine and chief of the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes at the University of Michigan. “People with hypothyroidism can definitely secondarily have either worsening preexisting diabetes or even development of new type 2 diabetes.”