One of the things I love to do is teach patients about physiology and really get them to understand their blood work. Thyroid studies are the most intricate and require the most in depth discussion with my patients. Let me try and explain them here so it makes sense to the average person. The thyroid gland sits in the center of the front of the neck on either side of the trachea (windpipe). It’s main function is to regulate our metabolism and control temperature in the body. There is not one cell in the body
If you ask most physicians the effects of sub-optimal thyroid function on patients they will state that the most common symptoms are fatigue, weight gain, constipation and depression. Very rarely do we (doctors) discuss the benefits of thyroid on cardiovascular disease and cholesterol metabolism. However, there is a lot of data in the medical literature that shows thyroid hormone (specifically T3) reduces cholesterol, improves cardiac function and reduces your risks of cardiovascular disease. My goal of this blog is to make you aware that you can improve your cholesterol by doing more than just taking a “statin”
How many of you reading this have gone to your doctor because you are experiencing one or all of the following symptoms: hair loss, fatigue, weight gain, depression or cold intolerance. I bet many of you had your thyroid levels checked (TSH and maybe Free T4) and told your thyroid was “normal”. And because your lab results fell within the normal range for thyroid your doctor told you that it must be something else. I also bet you left the doctors office defeated because you just don’t feel right and want an answer! Here is the problem.
