Research suggests that women who are pregnant with the potentially dangerous condition pre-eclampsia have a higher chance of suffering more from hypothyroidism.

Teams from the US and Norway discovered that those with the condition had a increased risk of an under-active thyroid, which can cause fatigue and depression.

They said that women who display signs of pre-eclampsia require thyroid checks as well as standard heart and kidney checks. The British Medical Journal published the study.

The role of the thyroid gland is very crucial in the body and it controls the rate at which the body burns energy and makes hormones which helps to regulate heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.

When a condition arises in which it is under-active, it is called hypothyroidism, which can produce many symptoms, like fatigue, weakness and depression including a risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Pre-eclampsia is a condition in which the blood pressure is very high and can be very dangerous if not treated on time. It also leads to convulsions and damaging the heart and kidneys.

The cause of pre-eclampsia is not clear but the condition has been attached to increased levels of certain proteins during the later months of the pregnancy.