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Americans
Uninformed
About Thyroid
Disease
NEW YORK (Reuters
Health) - Nearly 13 million Americans have thyroid disease, but
more than half of these people remain undiagnosed, experts said
here Thursday at an American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
(AACE) news conference.
Additionally,
fewer than 15% of Americans can identify the times of life when
thyroid disease most often strikes: the post-childbirth period,
menopause, and after age 60.
The thyroid
is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. Through
the production of thyroid hormones, the organ is involved in regulating
metabolism--how the body uses energy and at what speed.
``There's
gross unawareness of how (the) thyroid is important,'' said Dr.
Paul Jellinger, AACE president and clinical professor in the department
of medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Florida.
There are
various thyroid conditions including hyperthyroidism (overactive
thyroid), hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), and thyroiditis
(inflamed thyroid).
Untreated
thyroid disease may result in infertility, muscle weakness and
osteoporosis, said Dr. Henry Baskin, an attending physician and
pharmacy chairman at Florida Hospital in Orlando.
AACE experts
recommend that people experiencing some of the sometimes-subtle
symptoms of thyroid disease--such as depression, fatigue, heart
rate disturbances, a sense of being too cold or too hot, memory
difficulties and hair loss--undergo a blood test that measures
levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH tells the thyroid
to produce more of its hormone in response to the body's perception
that the levels of essential thyroid hormone are low.
Measuring
TSH helps doctors detect abnormalities in thyroid function, whether
the gland is overactive, underactive or normal. The normal range
of TSH is about 0.2 to 4.7 microunits per milliliter; an abnormally
elevated level of TSH may suggest that the thyroid is underactive
(not producing enough hormone).
Women who
are unable to conceive should have their thyroid checked because
an underactive thyroid can interfere with conception, said Dr.
Hossein Gharib, professor of medicine at the Mayo Medical School
in Rochester, Minnesota. Women are five to eight times more likely
than men to develop thyroid disease, he noted, adding that women
should also undergo TSH testing during pregnancy to ensure that
their levels of thyroid hormone are appropriate.
A few months
after delivery, some women are diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid
condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is often mistaken
for postpartum depression.
Menopause
is another time of life in which women should be tested for thyroid
disease, Jellinger said. Menopausal symptoms such as skin dryness,
hot flashes, mood swings, depression and weight gain mimic those
of thyroid disease, he explained.
People over
60 should be tested if they experience fatigue, depression and
forgetfulness, according to the AACE.
Children are
screened for thyroid disease at birth, but should be tested as
they mature if they display symptoms such as difficulty concentrating,
hyperactivity, rapid or delayed growth, Gharib noted.
Ideally, people
should have their thyroid function tested every 1 to 2 years,
the experts conclude. The test costs anywhere from $12 to $15.
Reference
Source 89
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