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HYPERTHYROIDISM
Description
The
thyroid is a gland located slightly below the larynx in front of the trachea.
The three primary hormones produced by the thyroid gland are thryoxine (T4),
triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin. Thryoxine (T4) and triiodothyronine
(T3) maintain the level of metabolism in the cells that is optimal for their
normal function. Calcitonin regulates the calcium and phosphate levels in
the blood.
Hyperthyroidism is characterized by excessive secretion of the thyroid hormones.
This increases the basal metabolic rate, causing an increased demand for
food to support this metabolic activity.1
Causes
Because there are many types of hyperthyroidism, this disease has many causes, not all of which are known. Graves disease is thought to be caused by genetic and immunologic factors. In a person with latent hyperthyroidism, excess iodine or stress may precipitate clinical hyperthyroidism.2
Types
There are various forms of hyperthyroidism: Graves disease, toxic adenoma, thyrotoxicosis factitia, functioning metastatic thyroid carcinoma, TSH-secreting pituitary tumor and subacute thyroiditis.
At Risk
Those with a family history of thyroid problems have an increased risk of developing hyperthyroidism. Disease onset is usually between the ages of 30 and 40 years.
Prevention and Management
General:
Persons
with hyperthyroidism may need to avoid excess iodine.
Supportive measures include adequate nutrients and vitamins.3
Nutritional Influences:
Vitamin
E may protect the hyperthyroid heart against lipid peroxidation by mechanisms
that may be independent of its function as an antioxidant.4
In thyroid-stressed experimental animals, folate helped bring total cholesterol
to near normal.5
Healthier Lifestyles Product Recommendations
Abstracts
Heliovaara M, Knekt P, Aho K, Aaran RK, Alfthan G, Aromaa A. Serum antioxidants and risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 1994 Jan;53(1):51-3. OBJECTIVES--Oxygen free radicals have been implicated as mediators of tissue damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thus it is possible that several micronutrients acting as antioxidants and free radical scavengers provide protection against RA. Serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and selenium were studied for their associations with the risk of RA. METHODS--A case control study was nested within a Finnish cohort of 1419 adult men and women. During a median follow up of 20 years, 14 individuals initially free of arthritis developed RA. Two controls per each incident case were individually matched for sex, age, and municipality. Serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and selenium concentrations were measured from stored serum samples. An antioxidant index was calculated as the product of the molar concentrations of these three micronutrients. RESULTS--Elevated risks of RA were observed at low levels of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and selenium, but none of the associations were statistically significant. A significant association, however, was observed with a low antioxidant index (p for trend = 0.03), the relative risk of RA between the lowest tertile and the higher tertiles of its distribution being 8.3 (95% confidence interval 1.0-71.0). CONCLUSIONS--The results of the present study are in line with the hypothesis that a low antioxidant level is a risk factor for RA.
Information provided by Usana Health Sciences (www.usana.com)