Persistently high cholesterol in hypothyroid patients treated with levothyroxine. PMID:

Genetic flaw causes problems for many with hypothyroidism. PMID: 30352046

Most patients who suffer from hypothyroidism respond favorably to treatment with levothyroxine. However, about 15% of the patients remain symptomatic despite taking the medication. In a study using mice, investigators found compelling evidence that the problem could be in a deiodinase gene polymorphism. This genetic flaw alters a key enzyme that activates T4 to T3. […]

Initial tests are successful for new drug to treat hypothyroidism; clinical trial is next. PMID: 30301431

Some hypothyroid patients continue to exhibit symptoms even while they are treated with the appropriate doses of levothyroxine (L-T4). Over 10 million Americans suffer from hypothyroidism, thus the number of dissatisfied patients is not small. Recent studies show that the answer might be on how some hypothyroid patients metabolize L-T4. After reaching the bloodstream, T4 […]

Results of the 2017 Spring survey of hypothyroid patients – 12,146 individuals responded. PMID: 29620972

Current guidelines recommend daily tablets of levothyroxine at doses that normalize blood levels of TSH to treat hypothyroidism but some patients remain symptomatic despite treatment. These patients may complain of sluggishness, lethargy, sleepiness, memory problems, depression, cold intolerance, hoarseness, dry skin, body weight gain, and constipation; patients may also change physicians multiple times in pursuit […]

2017 American Thyroid Association Hypothyroidism Treatment Survey

Take the survey now!   This survey for patients with hypothyroidism has been organized by the American Thyroid Association. The results will be presented and discussed by a panel of expert physicians, scientists, and patients with hypothyroidism at the organization’s symposium in Orlando, FL later this spring. By completing this short survey, you will help […]

The unexpected hypothyroid heart in patients with normal TSH levels. PMID: 28095748

The heart of patients with stenosis of the aortic valve inactivates thyroid hormone and causes localized hypothyroidism in otherwise euthyroid individuals with normal TSH and thyroid hormones levels. This was found in a group of 23 patients with aortic stenosis that underwent corrective surgery. A second group of 35 patients with coronary artery disease undergoing […]

For hypothyroid patients on levothyroxine “a normal TSH” might not be enough. PMID: 2770053

Hypothyroidism affects more than 10 million Americans, mostly women, and hundreds of millions worldwide. For 90 years since the first cases were described, hypothyroid patients were treated with capsules containing desiccated animal thyroid. With the discovery in the 1970s that deiodinases convert T4 to T3 in humans and the development of a method to measure […]

Depression due to deiodinase defect, despite normal thyroid hormone levels. PMID: 27501182

The World Health Organization estimates that about 450 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Depression is characterized by low mood, decreased interest in daily activities, fatigue, insomnia, sorrow, and in the worst cases thoughts of death. Depression can be caused by hormonal imbalance and is not rare in patients with hypothyroidism. This is because thyroid […]

Physical exercise activates thyroid hormone in skeletal muscle. PMID: 27302464

All of us benefit from regular physical exercise. Indeed, exercise is recommended at all ages, from children to elderly, as an inexpensive way of maintaining and improving health and wellbeing. In addition, patients with conditions such as diabetes, obesity, depression and myocardial infarction also benefit from appropriate regimens of exercise. However, it was not until […]

New studies could impact treatment recommendations for hypothyroidism. PMID: 25555216

The thyroid gland produces two hormones, T4 (poorly active) and T3 (most active). The pituitary gland constantly monitors the circulating levels of T4 and T3, secreting TSH whenever the levels of either hormone drops below a certain threshold. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not function adequately due to inflammation (e.g. […]