A Google search for "thyroid function tests" brought up a definition square at the top of the search results. It says that "Thyroid function tests" is a collective term for blood tests used to check the function of the thyroid. A TFT panel typically includes thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, thyrotropin) and thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3) depending on local laboratory policy." (Thyroid Function … Continue reading What’s wrong with calling TSH, FT3 and FT4 “thyroid function tests”?
Commonly, when scanning laboratory results, a physician will look for values that are “out of range” (high or low). It is often presumed that if FT4, TSH, and FT3 are all "in the normal range," those hormone levels won't be a problem for the heart, the liver, the kidney, the brain, and so on. It … Continue reading Are normal thyroid reference ranges risk-free zones?
Here is a common moment that occurs now and then in doctor’s offices. The physician looks up from their computer screen and tells the patient, “Your thyroid function tests came back normal, so nothing is wrong with your thyroid.” That statement reveals the dismal state of medical ignorance about normal-range thyroid lab results. It’s not … Continue reading Cognitive barriers to analyzing “normal” thyroid lab results
In this post, I'd like to share with you a real-life story, suitable for the holiday season, that might warm your hearts as much as it warmed mine. And by the end, it might even motivate you to learn more or take action. Newsflash from 2016: A newborn baby's hypothyroidism with a TSH of 117 … Continue reading TBAb hypothyroidism diagnosed in a mother and baby
There's a lot of confusion out there about Free T3: Free T4 ratios in bloodstream. Part of the confusion is about how these ratios are expressed in numbers and phrases. Should you express this ratio in blood as 1:4, 4:1 or 0.25, or 4.00? A second confusion may lead to a more substantial and harmful … Continue reading An example of confusion about Free T3: Free T4 ratios
