RecruitingMedical condition
Graves’ Disease
Plain-language information about Graves' disease in Canada, and the research enrolling for it now.
Plain-language guide, not medical advice
Reading time3 min
In CanadaPerhaps 1 in 100 people
Studies recruiting1 now enrolling
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition that makes the thyroid overactive. The thyroid sets the pace of your body’s chemistry, so too much of its hormone can leave you hot, shaky and losing weight, with a heartbeat that will not settle.
1 in 100people in Canada may be affected by Graves' disease, which the Thyroid Foundation of Canada describes as by far the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in Canada. It occurs more often in women than in men and runs in families. The Foundation states this figure as an approximation.
Source: Thyroid Foundation of Canada, Hyperthyroidism patient guide, 2026- Thyroid problems as a group are common in Canada, but most are the opposite problem. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care reports that thyroid dysfunction affects about 10% of Canadians aged 45 and older, 16% of women and 4% of men, and 16% of adults over 85. Most of that is an underactive thyroid rather than an overactive one. Source: Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, 2019
- Eye involvement is part of Graves' disease, but severe eye disease is uncommon. The Thyroid Foundation of Canada says clinically evident eye problems may occur and that only approximately 5% of cases are severe. A 2026 review in Canadian Eye Care Today puts the estimated incidence of thyroid eye disease at about 4.2 per 100,000 people a year, affecting women about 3.7 times as often as men. Source: Thyroid Foundation of Canada and Canadian Eye Care Today, 2026
- Antithyroid medicine does not settle the condition for everyone. The Thyroid Foundation of Canada states that about 20 to 30% of people may achieve remission after 12 to 18 months of antithyroid drug treatment, which is why radioactive iodine and surgery are also part of the picture. Both of those commonly lead to an underactive thyroid needing thyroid hormone replacement. Source: Thyroid Foundation of Canada, 2026
What Graves’ disease is, and what it is not
It is caused by a thyroid stimulating antibody that overstimulates hormone production. Hyperthyroidism means having too much thyroid hormone; it has several causes, including thyroid nodules and thyroiditis. The Thyroid Foundation of Canada says Graves’ disease is the most common cause in Canada.
It can also affect the tissues around the eyes, called thyroid eye disease. That is part of the same condition, not a separate problem, and can behave differently from the thyroid. Graves’ disease is also not an underactive thyroid, which is more common here and treated the opposite way.
Signs and symptoms
- A fast or irregular heartbeat, sometimes felt as palpitations
- Feeling hot when others do not, and sweating
- Losing weight while eating normally or more
- Feeling nervous or irritable, with shaky hands and muscle weakness
- More frequent bowel movements, and irregular periods
- Swelling in the front of the neck, and eye changes: bulging, redness or swollen lids
Symptoms range from none to marked, and the eyes and thyroid do not always track together.
What raises the risk
Some things cannot be changed:
- Being a woman. The Canadian Task Force reports thyroid dysfunction in 16% of women aged 45 and older against 4% of men
- Family history, since there is a genetic component
Others can often be worked on, usually with support from a health care team:
- Smoking, which a 2026 Canadian review lists among the key modifiable factors in thyroid eye disease
- Thyroid levels that are not under control
How Graves’ disease is diagnosed in Canada
Diagnosis starts with blood tests: TSH plus thyroid hormone levels, since in hyperthyroidism the hormones are high and TSH is suppressed. Finding the cause is the second step, because treatment differs. TSH receptor antibodies point to Graves’ disease specifically, and a radioactive iodine uptake test and thyroid scan separate it from nodules or thyroiditis. An eye examination is added where the eyes are involved.
Treatment and day-to-day management
Clinical research for Graves’ Disease is enrolling. See the current studies
There are three main routes for the thyroid, plus care for the eyes. A health care team may discuss:
- Antithyroid medicines, propylthiouracil and methimazole. The Thyroid Foundation of Canada says about 20 to 30% may achieve remission after 12 to 18 months, and risks include low white blood cell counts and liver injury, so blood monitoring is part of it. Beta blockers may be added for a fast heartbeat
- Radioactive iodine, the most common treatment, which often leaves an underactive thyroid needing hormone replacement
- Surgery to remove the thyroid, for severe disease or a suspicious nodule, followed by lifelong hormone replacement
- For thyroid eye disease: drops, cold compresses and selenium for milder disease, intravenous glucocorticoids for moderate to severe disease, teprotumumab, and surgery if needed
Each route has a different trade-off, and which fits is a decision for you and your clinician.
When to talk to a doctor
- Call 911 for signs of thyroid storm: high fever, severe agitation or confusion, and a racing or very irregular heartbeat. This is rare but life-threatening.
- Get an urgent eye assessment for sudden vision change, new double vision, severe eye pain, or an eye that will not close, since thyroid eye disease can threaten sight.
- Contact your provider for fever, mouth ulcers or a sore throat while on antithyroid medicine, since these can signal a drop in white blood cells.
Why clinical research matters for Graves’ disease
Treatment works on the thyroid, not on the autoimmune process behind it. About 20 to 30% may achieve remission after antithyroid medicine, leaving most to choose between longer treatment, radioactive iodine or surgery, and the last two often trade an overactive thyroid for an underactive one. Thyroid eye disease can progress even when thyroid levels are controlled. Canada also has no national surveillance figure for Graves’ disease. Research is looking at predicting relapse, at treatments aimed at the antibody, and at earlier care for the eyes.
Studies are how those questions get answered. Taking part is voluntary, informed consent comes first, and you can stop at any time without affecting your regular care. No one can say whether a study will help you personally.
Learn more from Canadian sources
- Thyroid Foundation of Canada: hyperthyroidism
- HealthLink BC: hyperthyroidism
- HealthLink BC: thyroid storm
- Canadian Eye Care Today: thyroid eye disease
Where this information comes from (5 sources)
- Thyroid Foundation of Canada, Hyperthyroidism patient guide, 2026
- HealthLink BC, Hyperthyroidism, 2026
- HealthLink BC, Thyroid storm, 2026
- Canadian Eye Care Today, Updates in the Management of Thyroid Eye Disease, 2026
- Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, Asymptomatic thyroid dysfunction, 2019
This page is written in plain language for people considering clinical research. It is general health information, not medical advice, and it does not replace a conversation with your own doctor or nurse practitioner.
Common questions
What is the difference between Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism is the state of having too much thyroid hormone in your body. Graves' disease is one cause of it, and the Thyroid Foundation of Canada says it is by far the most common cause in Canada, affecting perhaps one in every 100 people. Other causes include thyroid nodules and thyroiditis. The distinction matters because treatment depends on the cause, which is why blood tests for TSH receptor antibodies and sometimes a radioactive iodine uptake scan are used to identify what is driving the overactivity rather than only measuring hormone levels.
Will Graves' disease affect my eyes?
It can, but severe eye disease is uncommon. The Thyroid Foundation of Canada says clinically evident eye problems may occur and that only approximately 5% of cases are severe, with changes such as bulging eyes, redness, watering, swollen lids and difficulty moving the eyes. A 2026 review in Canadian Eye Care Today puts the estimated incidence of thyroid eye disease at about 4.2 per 100,000 people a year, affecting women about 3.7 times as often as men, and lists smoking and thyroid levels that are not under control among the modifiable factors. Sudden vision change, new double vision or severe eye pain needs urgent assessment.
If I have treatment, will I need thyroid medicine for life?
It depends which treatment. The Thyroid Foundation of Canada says about 20 to 30% of people may achieve remission after 12 to 18 months of antithyroid medicine. Radioactive iodine, which HealthLink BC describes as the most common treatment, often results in an underactive thyroid afterwards and then thyroid hormone replacement, and surgery to remove the thyroid means lifelong replacement. That trade-off, between the risk of the condition returning and the near-certainty of needing replacement hormone, is one of the main things to weigh, and it is a decision for you and your own clinician.
What to do next
- Talk to your doctor. This guide is information, not medical advice.
- See the current studies. 1 study for Graves’ Disease
- Not ready yet? Join the community and hear when a study may match the health areas you care about.
