Rethinking Hypothyroidism: Why Treatment Must Change and What Patients Can Do

"A scientist, physician, and former president of the American Thyroid Association explains why the standard treatment for hypothyroidism fails many patients and calls for alternatives. The thyroid is a small gland located in your neck, right above the front of your shirt collar. It is shaped like a butterfly and weighs less than an ounce, but it is hugely important. Patients with hypothyroidism-the inability to produce the needed amounts of thyroid hormones-may experience fatigue, sluggishness, and confusion, and they may have issues with their skin, hair, and weight. As hypothyroid patients typically have low levels of thyroid hormones in circulation, treatment is aimed at bringing these levels back to normal. Because hypothyroidism is so common, we likely know someone on daily tablets of thyroxine or T4. While most patients respond well to this standard treatment, about ten to twenty percent (some two to three million individuals in the United States) are far from living a typical life. They exhibit "foggy brain"-low energy, confusion, and poor memory. Many doctors have shrugged off their complaints, believing they are unrelated to the thyroid disease. Dr. Antonio C. Bianco, a physician, scientist, and former president of the American Thyroid Association, offers here an accessible overview of the disease's treatment and makes the case that the current approach is failing some patients. He calls for alternatives to improve lives, and he equips patients and their families to advocate for other treatments"--
In this primer for patients, their families, and their doctors, a leading physician and scientist explains why the standard treatment for hypothyroidism fails many—and offers an empowering call for change.   Hypothyroidism, also commonly referred to as Hashimoto’s disease, affects millions in the United States alone. It occurs when the thyroid—the butterfly-shaped gland that sits in your neck right above the front of your shirt collar—malfunctions or after thyroid surgery, causing thyroid hormone levels in circulation to drop below normal. Thus, treatment is aimed at bringing these hormone levels back to normal. This is done with daily tablets of thyroxine or T4. Because hypothyroidism is so common, we likely know someone who is on this type of medication. While most patients respond well to this standard treatment, about ten to twenty percent (some two to three million individuals in the United States) are far from living a typical life. They exhibit “foggy brain”—low energy, confusion, and poor memory. Many doctors have shrugged off their complaints, believing these symptoms to be unrelated to the thyroid disease. In Rethinking Hypothyroidism, Dr. Antonio C. Bianco, a physician and a scientist who has studied hypothyroidism and thyroid hormones for decades, offers an accessible overview of the disease’s treatment and the role of big pharma in shaping it, making the case that the current approach is failing many patients. But more than this, Bianco calls for alternatives to improve lives, and he equips patients and their families with the tools to advocate for other treatments.