Thyroid Testing
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Are normal thyroid reference ranges risk-free zones?
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…
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Cognitive barriers to analyzing “normal” thyroid lab results
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…
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TBAb hypothyroidism diagnosed in a mother and baby
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…
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An example of confusion about Free T3: Free T4 ratios
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…
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The myths that idolize TSH and denigrate FT3
There are myths in medical practice, and misguided policies in health care systems, that prevent Free T3 (FT3) from being tested. It could save a patient years or decades of suffering and illness to perform this cheap test to reveal problems that could otherwise go undiagnosed in a T3-blind medical system. A fellow thyroid patient…