British actress Daisy Ridley has announced she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease last September , having suffered symptoms while filming the psychological thriller Magpie. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. The 32-year-old isn’t the only famous face to be candid about being diagnosed with the condition.
In 2010, Australian singer-songwriter Sia confirmed in a tweet she had contracted it. US rapper Missy Elliott said she first started struggling with the disease in 2008. Here is all you need to know about the condition: Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause overactivity of the thyroid , a small gland in the front of your neck.
The immune system produces antibodies that cause the thyroid to produce excessive thyroid hormones (thyroxine or T4 and triiodothyronine or T3). About four in every five people with an overactive thyroid gland have Graves’ disease, according to the NHS website. Thyroid hormones control the way your body uses energy.
As such, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) says on its website that the condition affects almost every organ. Graves' disease is named after Robert J. Graves, an Irish physician who first described the condition in the early 19th century.
Dr Graves provided a detailed account of a patient with symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including an enlarged thyroid gland and protruding eyes, which are now recognised as ch.