Routine Testing Can Help Millions Of Thyroid Sufferers (NAPSA)—Onein ten Americans —more than the number of Americans with diabetes and cancer combined—suffer from thyroid disease, yet half remain undiagnosed. In order to counteract this lack of awareness and educate the public about the prevalenceof thy- roid disease, diagnosis, and treatment, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has launched its annual thyroid awareness campaign: Hiding in Plain Sight: Thyroid Undercover. New clinical guidelines published by AACE not only enable doctors to more easily identify patients with thyroid disease, but also provide treatment standards. Using a simple blood test called the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test, any physician can determine whether someone is suffering from an overactive or underactive thyroid—in many cases, even before patients begin to experience symptoms. AACE now encourages doctors to con- sider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now. “The prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid disease in the United States is shockingly high—particularly since it is a condition that is easy to diagnose andtreat,” said Hossein Gharib, MD, FACE, and president of AACE. “The new TSH range from the AACE guidelines gives physicians the information they need to diagnose mild thyroid disease before it can lead to more serious effects on a patient’s health—such as elevated cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility, and depression.” Whatis Thyroid Disease? @ New clinical guidelines will increase the number of Amer- icans with thyroid disease to 27 million. If the thyroid gland doesn’t work properly, neither do you. The thyroid gland, a butterflyshaped gland located in the neck just below the Adam’s apple and above the collarbone, produces hormones that influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in the body. If thyroid disease is left untreated, it can lead to such complications as elevated cholesterol levels and subsequent heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, osteoporosis and, in extreme cases, coma or death. Thyroid disease is of particular concern to women, since they are five to eight times more likely than men to be diagnosed with the condition. The elderly are also at increased risk for the disease—by age 60, as many as 17 percent of women and nine percent of men have an underactive thyroid. Thyroid disease is also linked to other autoimmunediseases, including certain types of diabetes, arthritis, and anemia. For example, 15 to 20 percent of people with Type 1 diabetes, as well as their siblings or parents, are at a greater risk of testing positive for a thyroid disorder. Eighty percentof patients diagnosed with thyroid disease have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include: fatigue, forgetfulness, depression, constipation, and changes in weight and appetite. The good newsis that this serious condition is easily treatable by taking a levothyroxine sodium pill once a day to restore thyroid hormoneto its normallevel. Once a patient is stabilized on medication, switching brands or dosage is not recommended unless otherwise directed by their physician. “Because the symptomsof thyroid disease are somewhat vague or subtle, patients often don’t know they should be asking their doctor for a TSH test,” said Gharib. “In fact, many patients have said they didn’t realize they wereill until they began treatment and started feeling more energetic and healthy.” Do the Neck Check” While the TSH blood test is the most sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool for thyroid disease, AACE also recommends that patients perform a simple selfexamination called the Neck Check. This easy, quick self-exam, unveiled by AACE in 1997, helps people detect if they have an enlarged thyroid gland and should speak with their doctor about further testing. For step-by-step instructions on how to perform the Neck Check, or to view the new AACE clinical guidelines for hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, visit the AACE Web site at www.aace.com. Thyroid Awareness Month is supported through an unrestricted grant from Abbott Laboratories.
