Author: thyroidpatientsca

Our president, researcher, and writer, Tania S. Smith, is a PhD-holding associate professor of Communication Studies at a Canadian university. She has been reading and researching thyroid science literature since 2016. Her diagnosis is severe autoimmune atrophic thyroiditis, ankylosing spondylitis, and uveitis. She spent 13 years since diagnosis on levothyroxine (LT4) monotherapy. After many years of low T3 and a fluctuating TSH inconsistent with thyroid hormones, she had a health crisis in 2016. Since then, she has been thriving on liothyronine (LT3)-inclusive therapy.

Four types of unstable thyroid function in the elderly

by thyroidpatientsca, posted in Aging, Central hypo, Healthy thyroid axis, HPT axis, Research Reviews, Scientific research analysis, TSH hormone

Diagnostic concepts like "subclinical hypothyroidism" have become cognitive barriers to understanding the adaptations and dysfunctions of the aging hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Thyroid diagnostic categories are usually based on whether TSH and FT4 are in range, above range, or below range, in relation to an age-blind reference range. These are convenient biochemical stereotypes. These stereotypes have … Continue reading Four types of unstable thyroid function in the elderly

Age, sex and TSH-FT4-FT3 relationships: Advanced lessons

by thyroidpatientsca, posted in Aging, FT3:FT4 ratio, Thyroid Testing, TSH test

No one wants to be ageist or sexist in thyroid screening or diagnosis. But if we are blind to the way that age and sex can distort the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, our interpretations of thyroid hormone levels and TSH will inevitably become ageist and sexist by refusing to respect and accommodate human diversity. In a … Continue reading Age, sex and TSH-FT4-FT3 relationships: Advanced lessons

Pediatric and teenage TSH, FT4, and FT3 levels

by thyroidpatientsca, posted in Diagnosis, HPT axis, Reference ranges

Scientists that study the effect of age on thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), Free T4 (FT4) and Free T3 (FT3) thyroid hormones often exclude the age group from birth up to age 16, 18, or 19. They usually exclude children and teenagers because they know they are different. Describing their TSH and thyroid hormones is its own … Continue reading Pediatric and teenage TSH, FT4, and FT3 levels

Age bias may hide hypothyroidism under a normal TSH

by thyroidpatientsca, posted in Aging, Diagnosis, HPT axis, Reference ranges, TSH hormone, TSH test

Scientists have been explaining that TSH responds to thyroid hormones differently in childhood, early adulthood, late adulthood and very advanced age. This poses a problem for regions that have implemented TSH-only screening for thyroid dysfunction. The effect of age on TSH is one of many factors that can make this screening test less accurate (Ling … Continue reading Age bias may hide hypothyroidism under a normal TSH

Can a normal TSH rule out thyroid disease?

by thyroidpatientsca, posted in Diagnosis, TSH test

If you are well-informed by current thyroid science, you already know the answer to the question in the title. "No. A normal TSH cannot rule out thyroid disease." Since the 1990s, physicians have been taught to use simplistic category-based interpretations of TSH (and Free T4) as "in or out of range" to classify people as … Continue reading Can a normal TSH rule out thyroid disease?