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THYROID DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

The thyroid gland is a bow-tie-shaped gland, which is located at the front of the neck, just below the Adam's apple.  It produces thyroid hormones called T₃ (triiodothyronine) and T₄.  The thyroid hormone regulates just about every cell in the body, including those in the central nervous system, heart, liver, kidneys, skin, bone, and muscles.  Among its most important functions is the control of the rate of metabolism, thermogenesis, and oxygen consumption. The predominant thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland is the relatively inactive T₄. The active form of the hormone, T₃ is converted from T₄by peripheral tissues (mostly the liver) as needed. 

The secretion of these hormones is regulated by another hormone called thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (or TSH).  TSH is secreted by the pituitary gland in a pulsatile or circadian rhythm.  This stimulating hormone activates the release of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland.  As thyroid hormones become high (or adequate), TSH secretion from the pituitary gland decreases in what is called a negative feedback mechanism.

Low thyroid function can be caused by autoimmune illnesses, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or Grave�s disease.  More commonly, low thyroid function is the effect of normal human aging.  While other hormone systems are affected by aging, the thyroid and adrenal glands are the most stress labile glands in the body. Any stress reduces their function. For example, a single episode of hypoglycemia impairs thyroid function up to 18 hours. Severe stresses, like surgery or heart attacks, affect thyroid function for months.

Moreover, certain types of industrial and agricultural chemicals interfere with normal thyroid metabolism.  It is also speculated that other types of environmental chemicals, such as chlorine (which is present in the water supply) and fluoride (used in toothpaste and some types of industrial preparations) interfere directly with the thyroid hormone. 

Hypothyroidism (or low-functioning thyroid) can be caused by certain drug treatments, such as alfa-interferon (which is used to treat hepatitis C) or Amiodorone, a cardiac drug.  It can also be caused by destruction of thyroid tissue by radioactive iodine or surgery, such as would be used to treat Graves' disease or certain types of thyroid cancer.

Nonetheless, the gradual decline of thyroid function tends often to go symptomatically unrecognized and is assumed to be related to the usual aging processes.  A now famous book titled Hypothyroidism:  The Unsuspected Illness, first published in 1976 by Broda Barnes, M.D., remains an eloquent description of the clinical significance and treatment of low thyroid function.

An estimated 30 to 40% of women over age 40 have undiagnosed sub-clinical hypothyroidism. That is, their laboratory test results may be normal, yet they have true low functioning thyroids.  Currently, physicians run a blood test in order to establish a baseline of thyroid function. The "basal body temperature" test was developed by Broda O. Barnes, MD; Dr. Barnes believed that 40% of the adult population suffered from thyroid deficiency. Based on the percentage of adults now taking prescription drugs to treat depression, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and so forth, Dr. Barnes's observations about the epidemic of thyroid deficiency may now have been validated.

The symptoms of low thyroid function include feeling mentally dull or fatigued, a tendency toward depression, fluid retention, dry skin, brittle nails, dry hair, decreased libido, decreased exercise tolerance, decreased tolerance for any kind of emotional stress, easy weight gain and very difficult weight loss, and elevated cholesterol.  Many individuals have all of these symptoms, but the results of their thyroid tests are normal.  However, their true thyroid function is low.  Using bio-identical natural thyroid hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of this class of individuals provides considerable efficacy.  In fact, it can be instrumental in literally turning their lives around.

In individuals with symptomatic low thyroid function, thyroid replacement therapy generally works as a very suitable, pharmacologic approach to improving the patient's overall health.  In fact, a clinical study conducted by John Isaacs, M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland, showed that one-half of a grain of thyroid over a ten-year period significantly improved cardiovascular function and overall body metabolism in normally aging adults.

It is important to start on a low dose of thyroid hormone replacement therapy and adjust the dose at thirty-day intervals. It takes at least 30 days for the body to adjust to a new thyroid dose.  Re-evaluation of hypo- and hyper- symptoms as well as repeating Thyroflex measurements at that time will help in adjusting dose. Periodic tests need to be done to monitor the thyroid hormone levels.