Daisy Ridley Announces Graves’ Disease Diagnosis

NYesterday news broke that Daisy Ridley, an actress best known for her roles in the recent Star Wars trilogy and this year’s Young woman and the seahas Graves’ disease. Ridley was officially diagnosed with the autoimmune disease in September 2023 after visiting an endocrinologist for hot flashes and fatigue, symptoms not often associated with an otherwise healthy, active 32-year-old.

In a recent interview with Women’s Health MagazineRidley says she initially attributed her symptoms to a stressful role in her upcoming film Magpieregularly deal with things like a racing heartbeat, weight loss, tremors, and fatigue. But all of these symptoms have turned out to be early warning signs of the thyroid problem that is Graves’ disease, a condition that causes your thyroid to produce too much thyroid hormone, also known as hyperthyroidism, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

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Graves’ disease is most often diagnosed in women over 30 and causes many of your body’s functions to “speed up.” This includes things like a fast, irregular heartbeat, frequent bowel movements, weight loss, tremors, sweating and anxiety, according to the NIDDK. If left untreated, it can lead to complications such as stroke, heart failure, changes in vision (it often causes bulging eyes) and infertility.

Other celebrities with this condition include TV star Wendy Williams and rapper Missy Elliot.

Fortunately, Graves’ disease is treatable with medications and lifestyle changes, according to the NIDDK. Ridley says she’s also found relief through a gluten-free diet, cryotherapy, acupuncture and massage. She doesn’t let her diagnosis (and her other health issues, endometriosis and PCOS) stop her from shining on the big screen.