Risk factors for Graves' disease

A case-control study of 100 newly diagnosed patients with Graves' disease and the same numbers of controls matched with respect to sex, age (± 2 years) and type of residence (rural-urban) was carried out. According to the matched analysis (McNemar's test and t-test) seventeen variables recognized as risk factors were included into the model of multivariate conditional logistic regression. The following factors were significantly associated with the occurrence of Graves' disease: change in time spent on work -- much overtime work, second job, much less work than usual (RR = 6.62; CI = 2.08--21.01), lack of readiness of relatives and friends to help the subject (RR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.14--1.93), increased arguments with spouse (RR = 14.12; 95% CI = 1.63--121.87), unemployment for at least one month (RR = 9.80; 95% CI = 1.13--85.02), and family history of Graves disease in the first degree of relation (RR = 7.20; 95% CI = 0.85--60.70).