Thursday November 19, 2009
Here are some of the notable and recent thyroid-related stories, blog posts and articles of interest.
One thyroid cancer patient's experience makes it clear that getting radioactive iodine treatment through a feeding tube is not a good idea.
Three cheers to cardiologist Dr. William Davis, who writes the following in a blog post titled T3: The forgotten thyroid hormone at MyHeartCentral.com:
This is a contentious issue among thyroid experts: Some say that T4-to-T3 conversion can be impaired and that T3 supplementation is necessary to fully correct thyroid status. Others argue that T3 is unnecessary. There are studies supporting both sides of the argument, with some studies showing improved mood and energy with T3 added to T4, while others fail to show any improvement.
My experience has been most consistent with the first side of the argument: When someone responds "No" to my question about whether they feel normal, I will ask them to consider adding T3 thyroid hormone to their T4. (This is done by either adding a T3 preparation, liothyronine or Cytomel, or by switching to combination preparations like Armour thyroid or Naturethroid.) With rare exceptions, within a week they feel energized, mood improves, excess weight starts to drop
Thyroid cancer survivor and author Kairol Rosenthal talks about how her thyroid cancer has muddled her mind, in her guest column at the New York Times' "Well" Blog. Says Rosenthal:
The cognitive side effects of my cancer, however, make me feel old before my time and have tanked my self-esteem....I've turned to my doctors for validation. But, like dozens of thyroid cancer patients I've spoken with about memory loss, my doctors do not acknowledge my symptoms, much less explain the causes.
Lisa Knobel, writing a guest column in the Summit Daily News titled "Health care: A cautionary tale" wonders whether thyroid care in a nationalized U.S. health care system might look like the worsening thyroid situation for UK patients under the National Health Service.
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Wednesday November 18, 2009
My first three years of life I lived in Peekskill, New York, and I grew up in Westchester County, right outside of New York City. It's always surprised me how many of my friends and neighbors from the "old neighborhoods" have thyroid cancer and other thyroid problems. I always suspected that there was something in the air or water back in the 60s and 70s that was damaging to our thyroid glands, but we haven't seen any studies or specifics that explained the situation...until now.
An article just published in the International Journal of Health Services has found that thyroid cancer rates in the four counties surrounding the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which is located in Buchanan, New York (south of Peekskill, and 24 miles north of New York City) - Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester -- are the highest in New York State. The thyroid cancer rates in those four counties around Indian Point are also among the highest in the U.S., with a rate of thyroid cancer that is 66% above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The accidental release of radioactive iodine into the atmosphere from the nuclear plant, which started operations in 1962 (when I was just a baby) is thought to be the potential cause of this increased risk.
Some media coverage of the issue:
For what it's worth, I'll add that I received a copy of a rebuttal statement from Paul Steidler, Director of Communications for the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance. (You can read the full statement
Read more...Wednesday November 18, 2009
Research just published in the
British Medical Journal has shown that women who develop the condition known as
preeclampsia during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have reduced thyroid function (hypothyroidism) in the last weeks of pregnancy, and may also may face an increased risk of hypothyroidism later in life, even decades after the pregnancy. The greatest risk of hypothyroidism developing over time was seen in women who had more than one pregnancy in which preeclampsia occurred.
Preeclampsia occurs in an estimated 3% to 5% of pregnant women, and involves onset of high blood pressure and protein in the urine in a pregnant after her 20th week of pregnancy. The condition can be dangerous for both the mother and fetus.
The implications of the findings are for women who develop preeclampsia, in that they should be monitored for the development of cardiovascular and renal disease, as well as development of hypothyroidism.
More Information
Source: Levine, Richard J, Vatten, Lars et. Al. "Pre-eclampsia, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1, and the risk of reduced thyroid function: nested case-control and population based study." British Medical Journal. 2009;339:b4336 Published 17 November 2009 Online
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Tuesday November 17, 2009
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) three companies and two individuals have been charged with making false advertising claims for their fat and weight-loss pills, Relacore and Akävar 20/50. According to the charges, the claims violate a 2006 FTC order barring them from making health or weight-loss claims without a reasonable basis.
According to the FTC's statement, "The defendants made claims such as 'eat all you want and still lose weight' and, 'And we couldn't say it in print if it wasn't true!' on product packaging, on the Internet, and in widely read magazines such as Redbook, Star, and Family Circle. The Commission seeks to stop the defendants from making such claims and make them pay civil penalties."
David Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, has said: "The Federal Trade Commission ordered the defendants to stop making baseless and bogus advertising claims."
The government's complaint alleges that advertising for Relacore claimed -- without any evidence -- that it reduces "stress-induced" abdominal fat.
The government's charges about Relacore's advertising are similar to charges that were brought almost five years ago against the manufacturer of CortiSlim, another supplement that claimed to fight stress-induced belly fat.
So, can a supplement really help you lose weight by targeting cortisol? Can you get rid of belly-fat simply by taking a pill? Read more in The Cortisol-Weight Loss Controversy.
And learn more about how thyroid patients can successfully lose weight in the Thyroid Diet and Weight Loss Information Center.
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Source: FTC Charges Marketers with Making Baseless Weight-Loss Claims Despite Order to Stop
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