In the annual “check-up season”, a unit to participate in the physical examination of more than 1,500 employees, but 15 people were found to have thyroid cancer. Of these 15 patients, 12 are women, the youngest is only 23 years old, and the unit found with thyroid-related diseases, but as many as 100 people. The results of the examination of the unit up and down are staggering. In the Endocrine Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we interviewed Prof. Qian Qiuhai, standing member of the Endocrine Committee of the Chinese Society of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, director of the Endocrine Department of the hospital, and doctoral tutor. Prof. Qian has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years, has been committed to Chinese medicine, Chinese and Western medicine treatment of endocrine diseases research, endocrine diseases, especially diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases have deep attainments and clinical experience, put forward a lot of fruitful new methods and ideas. Professor Qian Qiuhai said in an interview that the incidence of thyroid diseases was not high in the past, but in recent years, with the development of modern society, due to environmental pollution, ionizing radiation, improper diet, inappropriate application of iodine, work and life pressures, the incidence of thyroid patients in recent years has shown a sharp rise. Due to its insidious symptoms, public awareness of thyroid disease is low, and less than 5% receive standardized examination and treatment. It is not easy to be recognized clinically, but it is extremely harmful. Often, when a target organ of the thyroid gland is damaged, it affects the upstream and downstream organs, causing negative feedback mechanism disorders, which leads to systemic metabolic disorders and multiple systemic complications. Such as hypothalamus pituitary, mammary gland, gonads, cardiovascular, digestive, blood, bone metabolism and other multi-targets, multi-systems disorders. Therefore, thyroid disease not only has high incidence rate, but also has many complications and great harm, so it is urgent to pay attention to and control its growth. 1, have to pay attention to the incidence According to the results of epidemiological survey, at least 10 million people in China have hyperthyroidism patients, hypothyroidism patients 90 million people, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer patients more than 100 million people, a conservative estimate of China’s more than 200 million patients with thyroid disease. The incidence rate of women is 6-10 times higher than that of men, and the incidence rate of those over 40 years old is 10-20%. In Beijing alone, for example, the incidence rate of thyroid cancer increased from 2.7 per 100,000 people in 2001 to 8.78 per 100,000 people in 2010, an increase of 225.2% in 10 years, with an average annual increase of 14.2%. In 2010, there were 1,099 new cases of thyroid cancer, accounting for 2.9% of malignant tumors. 2000 years ago, there was no thyroid cancer in the top 20 female malignant tumors, but now, ten years later, it has jumped to the top 6 of female malignant tumors. According to some data, thyroid disease has surpassed diabetes to become the third largest disease after cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and tumor. 2, the danger of thyroid disease on the human body Talking about the importance of the thyroid gland and the danger of the disease, Prof. Qian Qiuhai believes that the human body has two “engines”, one is the heart, the other is the thyroid gland. The role of the heart is well known, in charge of blood circulation in the human body. However, the role of the thyroid gland is not well understood. The thyroid gland is called “the engine of the human body” because it controls the metabolic activities of the whole body, is in charge of the secretion of thyroid hormones, promotes the oxidation and decomposition of sugar and fat, promotes the growth and development of the body and improves the excitability of the central nervous system, thus influencing every part of the human body. Whether there is an abundance or a deficiency of this hormone in the body, problems may occur in various organs of the body, including metabolism, body temperature, heart, fertility and sexual function, and the locomotor system. Diseases caused by the thyroid gland can be divided into four main categories: first, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism caused by abnormal thyroid function; second, thyroid nodules and nodular goiter caused by structural abnormalities of the thyroid gland; third, inflammation of the thyroid gland caused by a variety of reasons, including acute, subacute and chronic Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; fourth, according to the malignant or non-malignant lesions and the thyroid gland. Fourth, according to whether there is malignant lesions, there are thyroid cysts, thyroid adenomas, and thyroid carcinomas. They can exist independently or in combination. Among them, hyperthyroidism, referred to as hyperthyroidism, is a symptom of imbalance in the metabolism of multiple systems of the human body due to the increase in the function of the thyroid gland, the excessive secretion of thyroid hormones or the increase in the level of thyroid hormones in the blood due to various reasons. There are three typical manifestations: first, systemic hypermetabolic syndrome caused by increased FT3 and FT4; second, goiter; and third, proptosis. The most common type is toxic diffuse goiter, and some cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid tumors, and thyroid carcinoma may also manifest as hyperthyroidism. The effects of hyperthyroidism on other organs are mainly manifested in the following aspects: on the cardiovascular system, hyperthyroidism will lead to tachycardia, arrhythmia (such as premature beats, atrial fibrillation, etc.), elevated blood pressure, heart enlargement, heart failure, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and other hyperthyroid heart disease. The longer the course of hyperthyroidism, the higher the likelihood of hyperthyroidism heart disease, and hyperthyroidism cure after hyperthyroidism heart disease takes a longer time to recover, individual patients can not even return to normal. Atrial fibrillation can also produce blood clots, and when the blood clots are dislodged, it can lead to cerebral embolism and cause paralysis; on the damage of the digestive system, hyperthyroidism will lead to impaired liver function, necrotic degeneration of hepatocytes, elevated aminotransferases, hepatomegaly, biliary jaundice, gastrointestinal dysfunction, extreme lethargy, etc.; on the damage to the hematopoietic system, hyperthyroidism can lead to leucopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia; on the damage to the reproductive system, in men, hyperthyroidism will lead to anemia, anemia and thrombocytopenia; on the damage to the reproductive system, in men, hyperthyroidism will lead to leukemia, anemia and thrombocytopenia; on the damage to the reproductive system. In men, hyperthyroidism may cause loss of libido, impotence, reduced sperm count, infertility and breast development. In women, it will lead to menstrual disorders, amenorrhea and infertility, and even after pregnancy, it is easy to produce fetal dysplasia, preterm delivery, miscarriage and stillbirth; damage to the motor system, hyperthyroidism will lead to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and other complications; damage to the nervous system, hyperthyroidism will lead to fantasies, mania, schizophrenia, depression, generalized trembling and other complications; damage to the skeleton, subperiosteal bone formation and swelling, thyroid gland, and other complications; and damage to the bones, subperiosteal bone formation and swelling. The damage to bones is caused by subperiosteal bone formation and swelling, thyroid pestle finger, and loss of calcium and phosphorus leading to osteoporosis. Mild hyperthyroidism affects study, work and life, while severe hyperthyroidism can lead to thyroid crisis, systemic failure and other serious consequences, even death. Hypothyroidism, referred to as hypothyroidism, is a clinical syndrome caused by insufficient synthesis, secretion or biological effect of thyroid hormones due to a variety of reasons, resulting in a decline in metabolic activity. Its typical clinical feature is a generalized hypothyroidism syndrome characterized by a decrease in FT3 and FT4. Its effects on other systems of the human body are mainly as follows: on the cardiovascular system, it can lead to slow heart rhythm, weak heart sound, generalized enlargement of the heart, often accompanied by pericardial effusion, but also after the disease of myocardial fiber swelling, mucus glycoprotein deposition and interstitial fibrosis called cardiomyopathy. To the digestive system, hypothyroidism patients with loss of appetite, constipation, abdominal distension, and even paralytic intestinal obstruction, about half of the patients have a complete lack of gastric acid. To the endocrine system: male impotence, female menorrhagia, amenorrhea if the disease remains untreated, low adrenocortical function, lowered blood and urine cortisol. Reproductive system: men may have low sexual function, delayed sexual maturity, backwardness of secondary sexual characteristics, decreased libido, impotence and testicular atrophy, and infertility. Women may have irregular menstruation, excessive menstrual bleeding or amenorrhea, infertility, miscarriage and premature birth. For the nervous system: memory loss, mental retardation, slow reaction time, drowsiness, depression, sometimes anxiety with psychotic manifestations, severe hypothyroidism develops into suspicious schizophrenia, dementia, hallucinations or lethargy in the later stage. For muscle and joint system, muscle contraction and relaxation are slow and delayed, muscle pain and stiffness are often felt, bone metabolism is slow, bone formation and resorption are reduced, joints are not functioning, there is a sense of ankylosis, aggravated by cold, like chronic arthritis, and occasionally joint effusion is seen. Thyroid nodule, refers to one or more structural abnormalities in the thyroid gland due to various reasons, can be divided into nodular goiter, thyroid tumor, thyroid cancer, thyroid cysts. Director Qian Qiuhai said that the incidence of thyroid nodules increases with age, and there is also an incidence in children, although the incidence is low, but the risk of malignancy is four times that of adults, accounting for the first secondary malignant tumors in children. Nodular goiter may be accompanied by intracystic hemorrhage, and the nodules may increase rapidly in size over a short period of time and cause pain. When the nodule is large, it can compress the trachea, leading to narrowing of the trachea, respiratory difficulties, or even suffocation; compress the esophagus, leading to swallowing difficulties; compress blood vessels, leading to blood reflux difficulties in the head and neck; compress the laryngeal nerve, leading to paralysis of the vocal cords, causing hoarseness of the patient’s voice. The incidence of thyroid tumor is increasing in recent years. The growth of thyroid tumor affects the nerves of the trachea and esophagus, making the patient’s voice mute and difficult to breathe and swallow. Surgery for thyroid tumor does not only cause local scars but also has a high recurrence rate, which leads to the incidence of thyroid cancer that is currently on the rise and has become a kind of high incidence cancer. Thyroiditis is a common thyroid disease, including acute, subacute and chronic Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Its manifestations can be varied. The same type of thyroiditis can manifest not only hyperthyroidism, but also hypothyroidism, diffuse thyroid lesions, and thyroid nodules in different periods of the disease, and very few patients can be combined with thyroid cancer. Sometimes, the different types of thyroiditis can be interchanged. Among these three types, chronic Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common and harmful. Inadequate treatment and control can lead to hypothyroidism. The latter, in women, is often the cause of irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, infertility, miscarriage, and preterm labor. Maternal hypothyroidism can affect the course and outcome of pregnancy, with implications for reproductive health and offspring, embryonic development, pregnancy complications and offspring intelligence. It should be of great concern to the medical community and thyroid patients. Thyroid function and thyroid antibodies should become important monitoring indicators for women of childbearing age and pregnant women. 3, the reasons for the rapid growth of thyroid disease Talking about the reasons for the rapid growth of the thyroid in recent years, Professor Qian Qiuhai told reporters that, in addition to genetic susceptibility to thyroid disease, autoimmunity, viral infections, with the development of society, the causes of the disease is more and more complex, environmental pollution, ionizing radiation, inappropriate diet, excessive drinking and smoking, excessive iodine-containing foods, work and life stress and psychosocial factors have become the cause and aggravation of thyroid disease, but also the cause of the disease is the cause of the disease. The causes of thyroid disease are becoming more and more complicated. First of all, iodine intake is abnormal. Iodine is the main raw material for thyroid gland to synthesize adenohormones. Inadequate or excessive iodine intake can lead to an increase in the incidence of thyroid disease. In some non-iodine-deficient areas, the use of iodized salt and excessive consumption of seafood products lead to excessive iodine intake in the body, which is the main reason for the increase of thyroid diseases in recent years; secondly, the influence of psychosocial factors. In the social family to bear the psychological pressure is too large and can not be discharged, in the long run will evolve into the Chinese medicine known as “liver qi stagnation”, resulting in endocrine metabolism and dysfunction, thus inducing thyroid disease; and then, the environmental pollution. Including water, air, soil pollution of food, modern agriculture, the use of large amounts of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, excessive use of hormones, the abuse of whitening agents, hanging white, Sudan red food additives can cause endocrine disorders, resulting in thyroid disease. Professor Qian Qiuhai especially mentioned that the incidence rate of female thyroid patients is higher than that of males, in addition to female estrogen and progesterone can increase the probability of women suffering from thyroid, there are also some endocrine disruptors, such as sunscreen, cosmetics, etc. contain different categories of endocrine disruptors, which can affect the function of the thyroid gland and lead to an increase in the incidence rate of thyroid tumors in women. In addition, personality differences such as easy anxiety, impatience, depression and female pregnancy and childbirth can also induce thyroid disease. 4, Chinese medicine as the main, Chinese and Western medicine combined treatment of thyroid disease For the treatment of thyroid disease, Prof. Qian Qiuhai believes that endocrine disease is a kind of chronic disease that affects the whole body multi-systems, multi-targets. Each link of human endocrine system is interconnected and interacts with each other, affecting the whole body. It is very challenging to apply the holistic and connected thinking of Chinese medicine to prevent and treat endocrine diseases. In his 30 years of medical career, Prof. Qian Qiuhai first studied TCM and then pursued a PhD in Western medicine, which provided him with a broader research perspective. Prof. Qian believes that thyroid diseases are preventable, treatable and controllable. It should be based on the principles of preventable and curable, combining prevention and treatment, prioritizing prevention, and complementing the strengths of Chinese and Western medicine. According to the characteristic that one target organ lesion of thyroid disease affects many target organs in the whole body, the treatment should adopt the overall regulation and comprehensive intervention method. Since Chinese medicine has the characteristics of overall regulation, evidence-based treatment, customized for each individual and location, multi-component and multi-target integrated intervention, the combination of western medicine and Chinese medicine is adopted in the treatment of thyroid diseases, and the combination of overall regulation and targeted treatment. Through this unique approach, not only the local symptoms of the thyroid gland can be improved, but also the systemic symptoms of the patients, and the damage to other target organs caused by thyroid diseases, such as the damage to the liver, heart, bones caused by hyperthyroidism, and gonadal dysfunction caused by hypothyroidism can be improved. Accordingly, with years of clinical experience, we have researched a series of effective formulas for treating thyroid diseases, such as “Hyperthyroidism Ning” and “A Rongkang”, which have remarkable therapeutic effects and have been welcomed by patients.