A study, known as the Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study, on 25,862 participants, has found that even a slight decrease in thyroid function – referred to as subclinical hypothyroidism – may raise cholesterol levels, especially increased levels of LDL, and risk of heart disease. According to one of the study’s authors, E. Chester Ridgeway, MD, head of the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center: “The link between all stages of hypothyroidism and cardiovascular health, and the vague correlation between symptoms and disease state, points to the need for more widespread TSH testing and more aggressive treatment, especially for subclinical patients.” That study found that as many as ten percent of the 98 million American with high cholesterol levels may not know that their cholesterol is elevated due to undiagnosed thyroid problems.
PREGNANCY and FIBROMYALGIA
Dr. Kurland Norbert If you have fibromyalgia and are contemplating pregnancy, it’s natural to wonder what impact your illness will have on your ability to