According to the Endocrine Today website, "Every year the Endocrine Today Editorial Board members vote on what they think are the most significant stories of the past year." They then go on to list their top ten stories of 2010, which include four different stories related to diabetes drugs and treatments, two stories about osteoporosis drugs, a story about the withdrawal of diet drug sibutramine from the US market, new recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D, and a story on how how 'conflict of interest' policies are outdated and too limiting on doctors.Yes, the site is called Endocrine Today and their tagline is "Clinical news on Diabetes and Endocrine Disorders," and yes, the thyroid still is an endocrine disorder, last time we checked. And no, the trusty editorial board at Endocrine Today did not totally overlook thyroid disease. Their "Top Ten Stories of 2010" did manage to squeeze in one story related to thyroid disease, regarding warnings about the use of propylthiouracil (PTU) for pregnant women with hyperthyroidism.
But seriously. Do we need any further evidence that even in endocrine organizations and among endocrinologists, thyroid disease -- an endocrine disease that affects more people than diabetes -- continues to be overlooked?!
Last week, we had the American Medical Women's Association totally ignoring thyroid disease at a meeting to talk about key women's health issues. Now, we have so-called thyroid doctors who couldn't care less about thyroid developments!
Maybe there wasn't anything else that happened in 2010 that should make the list, one might wonder?
No, we can't let Endocrine Today off that easy. Because here at the About.com Thyroid Site, we were covering major thyroid news all year long, and here are just a few of the major thyroid-related stories we covered in 2010:
- A new study showing that the addition of T3 is superior to levothyroxine/T4-only thyroid treatment for hypothyroidism
- The serious shortage of natural thyroid drugs that continued well into 2010...
- New research on the risks of hypothyroidism in pregnancy, and the need for better screening
- Transaxillary robotic scarless thyroid surgery
- New findings about a link between Agent Orange and thyroid disease
- New research regarding the safety of low TSH levels for patients being treated for hypothyroidism
- Research showing an increased risk of stroke in young adults with hyperthyroidism Shutdown and unavailability of Genzyme's manufacturing plant for the thyroid drug Thyrogen
- The finding that thyroid cancer risk may increase due to multiple dental x-rays
- Research showing that thyroglobulin (Tg) level predicts thyroid cancer recurrence
- New research indicated that there is a higher risk for miscarriage in pregnant women with thyroid test levels on high end of normal
- Guidelines were published for diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules
- Research showing that hypothyroid women in the first trimester of pregnancy need two extra levothyroxine pills per week
- Researchers found that even slight elevation of thyroid levels during pregnancy increases risk of breech delivery
- The FDA was sued over thyroid-damaging toxins in antibacterial soap
- Congress tackled the risk of patients who have had radioactive iodine, and then radioactively contaminate hotels and public transportation
- Tirosint, first gelcap levothyroxine, came on the market
- Controversial drugmaking giant Pfizer bought thyroid drug maker King pharmaceuticals, maker of Levoxyl, Cytomel and Tapazole
Yes, we do think you missed some. So if you, like me, are frustrated at Endocrine Today's obvious disregard for thyroid disease in selecting their Top 10 Stories list, then drop them an email at Editor@EndocrineToday.com and let them know that thyroid disease deserves at least as much attention, if not more, than less prevalent endocrine conditions!
Update: I received a slightly whiny email from the "Editors" at Endocrine Today -- the didn't actually sign it with their names -- complaining that this blog post was inaccurate, because their site DOES cover thyroid disease, and "It is also important to note that the target audience of Endocrine Today is endocrinologists - not patients, like your blog....Furthermore, any reader who visits EndocrineToday.com and enters 'thyroid' in the search box will see that their search generates 24 pages of search results."
As I wrote back to them, while different groups report differing numbers, generally, about 16 million Americans in total are thought to have diabetes (some 10 million or so diagnosed and the rest undiagnosed). At the same time, some 20 million Americans -- at minimum -- are thought to have thyroid disease. (Some estimates based on the Colorado Thyroid Prevalance and NHANES studies -- as well as new TSH cutoff guidelines from AACE -- suggest that there may be many more undiagnosed than previously thought, bringing the total number of diagnosed and undiagnosed thyroid patients in the U.S. to anywhere from 27 million to as many as 59 million.)
And while a search on "thyroid" at Endocrine Today brings up 24 pages of links, a similar search on diabetes brings up 77 pages of links at their site. I feel strongly the thyroid patient community needs to know that an editorial panel for an endocrine news site chose 10 top stories for 2010 about endocrine disorders, and determined that only one thyroid story warranted a Top 10 slot.
Photo: istockphoto
Thanks to this site and the wonderful folks on the forum, I am doing better. I have a regular GP doc treating my thyroid disease, so learning everything I can is a big help. I knew what tests to ask for and my various med options, not just levothyroxine and Cytomel.
This site has been a HUGE help to me!
When I first began researching my thyroid illness, one of the things that I subconsciously looked for were facts and data. Facts and data helped lead me to understand who and what to believe.
So when Mary reports that a disease which affects MORE people than diabetes is obscenely overlooked — to the point of 1 in 10 stories being thyroid-related — I listen.
This piece of data tells me more about who to trust when it comes to thyroid issues than almost anything else out there.
Cheers to Mary for a bigger interest in data and science than the entire field of endocrinology.
That tagline is……unfortunate. Why would diabetes be singled out when it’s just one of the endocrine disorders, and not even the most prevalent?
I see that FOUR of their top 10 mention Diabetes.
Seems pretty clear that the focus is not on thyroid disease.
I would not even call type 2 diabetes an endocrine disease. It is an FDA-USDA disease. It’s a metabolic disease of the liver caused by consumption of approved levels of transfats from GMO canola and toxic high fructose sweeteners derived from GMO corn and loaded with heavy metals. Wanna bet that the “Endocrine Today” is just a propaganda arm for the pharmaceutical companies that make a fortune from diabetes management drugs? That would explain why they ignored thyroid disease. There’s not nearly as much money in thyroid treatment, and the darn patients keep getting uppity!
Okay so the site is targeted to Endocrinoligists….and not much mention on Thyroid disease. Hmmm, maybe this is why so many Endo’s don’t have any clue what thyroid patients go through. Hello, why not give them info about things they don’t know or don’t understand. That would make more sense to me coming from an educational tool such as Endocrine Today.
Mary,
Thank you for your continued dedication and reporting. I feel you are the only resource I can always trust to get a straight answer regarding Thyroid Cancer.
I am 4 weeks out from my RI treatment after a total thyroid and lymphectomy and on 125mg of Synthroid. I was told this would help keep my ‘cancer free’. Is this true? (I had literally begged for NatureThroid)
Aliss….while I agree with almost all of what you said, I wouldn’t agree that all diabetes is caused from consumptiom of the above-mentioned ingredients.
However, what you said about them is absolutely true…GMO
corn…..hateful. Big Pharma….I can’t even go there because it always infuriates me.
What is sorely lacking is info on alternative treatments. I have been recently diagnosed with borderline hypothyroidism and my endocronologist said to retest in 6 months since he knows I am against taking medication, which I believe just addresses the symptoms but doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Why should I wait til this disease progresses? I am now seeing an alternative MD who is doing DNA testing and believes we can reverse this through diet and supplements. 10 years ago I was diagnosed with hypo but when I eliminated a daily soy shake (for hot flashes) my levels went back to normal – that MD wanted me to take meds – thank goodness I didn’t. I have been drinking soy milk and eating tofu for many years since I’m a vegetarian, so I am now cutting out ALL soy products. I will continue to post as I continue on my “Alternative Journey”.
I have 11.46 Tsh .Iam 28 years old my weightis 65 & hight is 4″8 who to loss my weight