Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid hormones (TSH, T3 and T4) stimulate and maintain metabolic processes by modulating the synthesis and degradation of proteins and fatty acids in many tissues. Thyroid hormone replacement therapy is one of the unabashed successes of modern clinical medicine. It is standard medical therapy to replace thyroid hormone in anyone exhibiting fatigue, thickened skin, constipation, decreased reflexes, and weight gain if he or she has low thyroid hormone levels as well. Hashimoto’s disease, the most common cause of low thyroid levels, is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland making it unable to produce adequate levels of thyroid hormones. This is a very common disorder (you probably know someone with it), which can occur at any age, but its incidence increases with age. It is estimated that as many as 10 % of adults over 65 have the disorder. We routinely check blood levels of thyroid hormones in all our patients and treat as necessary. Treatment consists of a combination of T3 and T4, individually tailored to each patient’s needs based on thyroid function tests.

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