Mr. Bilezikian, you are one of the most famous specialists in the treatment of osteoporosis. Meanwhile, during the 6th International Medical Congress of Armenia, you gave a speech about diseases of the thyroid gland. Why did you choose this topic?

We want to emphasize the topics that we did not discuss during the previous congresses. I often speak about osteoporosis in Armenia. However, we are also interested in thyroid gland diseases, which are quite a serious problem in Armenia.

Is there any link between thyroid gland diseases and osteoporosis?

Yes, there is. I did not talk about this during my speech. We teach our students all the time that when a patient has osteoporosis, it is always necessary to check the thyroid gland because the patient may have overproduction of thyroid gland hormones or hyperthyroidism. Even if a person does not have symptoms of hyperthyroidism, he can still have such a disease. This is one of the main causes of the loss of bone mass.

If a person has hyperthyroidism, does it affect bone strength?

I cannot answer the question unequivocally. As far as we are familiar with this issue, the answer is no. People who have hyperthyroidism usually do not have this problem. However, patients with hyperthyroidism are treated with thyroid gland hormones, and some are given too much hormone, causing them to develop osteoporosis. Thus, we are having a situation where hyperthyroid patients receive too much treatment and lose bone calcium.

Could this explain why osteoporosis is so widespread in Armenia?

I cannot say whether this is the explanation, but we do not have enough information about the situation in Armenia. As a result of the thyroid gland research we are currently conducting throughout Armenia, we will have an approximate picture of how many people have an overactive thyroid gland, how many have an underactive thyroid gland. But the study does not include bone density testing, which would have enabled us to determine whether people had a problem. If we conduct such research as well, which we can easily do, since I have brought a lot of equipment with me, we will be able to get the answer to your question.