|
Should People With Normal TSH and Symptoms Be Treated? | |
July 2002 -- The controversy continues over treating people who are “biochemically euthyroid” (have normal TSH test values) but “clinically hypothyroid” (have thyroid symptoms) in the July 2002 issue of Clinical Endocrinology. Well-known thyroid expert A.P. Weetman, citing the Pollock study featured in the October 20, 2001 issue of the British Medical Journal, has stated that, based on the Pollock study findings:
"For now, though, a normal TSH and free T4 rule out hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone treatment is not indicated for suggestive symptoms in such individuals.”While a large-scale study is needed to look definitively at the issue of whether there is benefit in thyroid treatment for people with normal TSH values, it's clear that the Pollock study does not provide enough basis on which any practitioner should make clinical decisions. An in-depth analysis of the Weetman "Commentary" and the Pollock study looks at concerns regarding:
- Dosage size used in the Pollock study
- The lack of T3 testing and drugs in the study
- The short timeframe of the study
- The small size of the study
- Current controversy and disagreement over what constitutes a "normal" TSH
- The role of thyroid antibodies in diagnosis and treatment
Read the comprehensive analysis and assessment of the Weetman "Commentary" now.
