Hypothyroidism — Overview, Symptoms, Treatments, and Other Resources.
Information on hypothyroidism at the National Library of Medicine
Millions of people in the U.S. have thyroid diseases. Most of them are women. If you have a thyroid disease, your body uses energy more slowly or quickly than it should. A thyroid gland that is not active enough, called hypothyroidism, is far more common. It can make you gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. If your thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. Treatment involves trying to reset your body's metabolism to a normal rate. Read more at the National Library of Medicine.
Hypothyroidism Information from the American Thyroid Association
When thyroid hormone levels are too low, the body’s cells can’t get enough thyroid hormone and the body’s processes start slowing down. As the body slows, you may notice that you feel colder, you tire more easily, your skin is getting drier, you’re becoming forgetful and depressed, and you’ve started getting constipated. Because the symptoms are so variable, the only way to know for sure whether you have hypothyroidism is with blood tests...Read more at the American Thyroid Association.
Information from Hypothyroidism at Columbia University Medical Center
When the production of thyroid hormone decreases below the normal body's need, the condition is referred to as hypothyroidism. Without enough thyroid hormone, the body becomes tired and run down. Every organ system slows—the brain slows down making it difficult to concentrate, the gut slows down causing constipation, and metabolism slows down causing weight gain. Although there are many different causes of an underactive thyroid gland, the resulting effect on the body is the same. More at Columbia University Medical Center
Causes of hypothyroidism.
The most common cause of hypothyroidism is inflammation of the thyroid gland, which damages the gland's cells. For more on this and other causes, see NIH Medline Plus.
Thyroid Gland Surgery
Publication describing and explaining thyroid gland surgery, produced by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Silent thyroiditis
Silent thyroiditis is swelling (inflammation) of the thyroid gland, in which the person alternates between hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The disease affects women more often than men. It usually develops in people ages 13 - 80. Read more at the National Library of Medicine.
Pregnancy and thyroid disease
Two pregnancy-related hormones—human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and estrogen—cause increased thyroid hormone levels in the blood. Read more at the National Institutes of Health.
Neonatal hypothyroidism
Neonatal hypothyroidism is decreased thyroid hormone production in a newborn. Incomplete development of the thyroid is the most common defect and occurs in about 1 out of every 3,000 births. Girls are affected twice as often than boys. Read more at the National Library of Medicine.
Podcast: What is hypothyroidism?
A podcast featuring Dr. Griffin P. Rogers, Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Screening for thyroid disease: recommendation statement.
The USPSTF found fair evidence that the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test can detect subclinical thyroid disease in people without symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, but poor evidence that treatment improves clinically important outcomes in adults with screen-detected thyroid disease. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Update of newborn screening and therapy for congenital hypothyroidism.
Two screening strategies for the detection of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) have evolved: a primary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)/backup thyroxine (T4) method and a primary T4/backup TSH method. In addition, an increasing number of programs use a combined primary TSH plus T4 approach .See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Abstract: Regular aerobic exercise training improves endothelium-dependent arterial dilation in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.
Impairment of flow-mediated endothelium-dependent arterial dilation (FMD) exists in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (sHT). Regular aerobic exercise improves FMD in sHT patients, and changes of lipids and inflammation during the exercise period may partially contribute to the improvement of endothelial function. See abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Experience with Intraamniotic Thyroxine Treatment in Nonimmune Fetal Goitrous Hypothyroidism in 12 Cases
Nonimmune fetal goitrous hypothyroidism is a rare condition that can induce obstetrical and/or neonatal complications and neurodevelopmental impairments such as those still seen in some patients with congenital hypothyroidism. Prenatal treatment to prevent these adverse outcomes is appealing, but experience is limited and the risk to benefit ratio controversial. See abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: The Relationship between Thyroid Function and the Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease at Female Medical Checkups.
Thyroid hormones play an important role in regulating lipid and glucose metabolism. Thus this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the thyroid hormone (FT4) or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome in the individuals with subclinical thyroid dysfunction. See abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Congenital disorders of the thyroid: hypo/hyper.
This article summarizes the ontogenesis and genetics of the thyroid with regards to its possible congenital dysfunction…see abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Efficacy of combined levothyroxine and liothyronine as compared with levothyroxine monotherapy in primary hypothyroidism: a randomized controlled trial.
The data do not support the hypothesis that combined therapy improves the well-being and general health of patients. See abstract at PubMed.
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