An estimated 27 million people in the United States suffer from some kind of type of thyroid disease. However, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists report only half of these people is actually diagnosed. While the primary concern used to be the direct effects of the thyroid disease, current research suggests low thyroid function could be linked to cardiac complications.
A study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examines the effects of abnormally low thyroid function on the development of cardiac failure. A study led by Dr. Anne R. Cappola, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology for the University of Pennsylvania, monitored over 3,000 patients over a twelve year period, looking for a relationship between thyroid activity and the development of heart disease. The research specifically looked to see if certain levels of the thyroid hormone TSH contributed to the heart's decreased ability to pump blood over time. TSH is manufactured in the pituitary gland to stimulate activity within the thyroid gland. When levels of TSH hormone are elevated, it indicates that the pituitary is working harder to make the thyroid perform its normal function within the body.
The findings show that patients within the study who had a high TSH reading were two times as likely to suffer from heart failure as those with lower levels of the hormone. When the TSH levels were normal or low, there was no appreciable effect on the cardio vascular system. Patients currently with hypothyroidism have a high TSH level which means their body is not receiving enough of the thyroid stimulating hormone. Unless a doctor is asked to specifically do a blood screening for thyroid levels, it is not routinely checked during a physical. It is also not usually done for older patients unless they are already experiencing symptoms of thyroid disease. However based on the amount of undiagnosed Americans with thyroid problems and the concern that it could be connected to heart complications, it may be worthwhile to regularly screen for hypothyroidism. It also suggests that patients with an elevated TSH level should treat their condition.
Hypothyroidism and the opposite condition where patients have too-low a TSH level called hyperthyroidism, can both be treated with thyroid medication. Medicine for thyroid disease is prescribed by a physician and a patient is regularly monitored to ensure the body's thyroid is responding properly and controlling hormone levels. Pharmaceutical treatment for thyroid disease is usually in pill form and the dosage will depend on the weight and metabolism of the patient. Thyroid medicine can be purchased a local drugstore or less expensively through an online pharmacy such as www.pacificonlinepharmacy.com. Pharmaceutical treatment for thyroid disease is usually in pill form and the dosage will depend on the weight and metabolism of the patient.
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