4.5 • 774 Ratings
🗓️ 8 February 2024
⏱️ 34 minutes
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Wondering what the thyroid levels from your thyroid lab test mean? I’ll break down what the different thyroid hormones indicate and dispel some misconceptions about which levels actually require medication.
If you have any additional questions you would like answered in the future, let me know in the comments!
Optimal Thyroid Levels: https://drruscio.com/optimal-thyroid-levels
Hyperthyroidism vs Hypothyroidism: https://drruscio.com/hyperthyroidism-vs-hypothyroidism/
Early Signs of Thyroid Problems: https://drruscio.com/what-are-early-warning-signs-of-thyroid-problems/
How to Get Off Thyroid Medication Naturally: https://drruscio.com/how-to-get-off-thyroid-medication/
Thyroid & Hair Loss: https://drruscio.com/thyroid-hair-loss/
Why Your Thyroid Diagnosis Might Be a MISDiagnosis: https://drruscio.com/thyroid-diagnosis/
00:00 Intro to the thyroid
03:57 TSH
05:02 Free T4
05:59 Free T3
07:07 TPO (thyroid antibodies)
08:13 Hashimoto’s
10:00 TG (thyroglobulin)
12:58 Defining hypothyroidism
13:27 Defining hyperthyroidism
13:48 The grey area “Sluggish thyroid”
18:07 Treatments
20:20 Where symptoms can come from
24:25 Thyroid lab interpretation guide
Physiology, Thyroid: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30137850/
Serum TSH, T(4), and thyroid antibodies in the United States population (1988 to 1994): National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11836274/
Serum thyrotrophin and circulating thyroglobulin and thyroid microsomal antibodies in a Finnish population: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/760358/
The prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid disorders in a previously iodine-deficient area: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14558922/
Hypothyroidism Prevalence in the United States: A Retrospective Study Combining National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Claims Data, 2009-2019: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36466005/
Correlation between sonography and antibody activity in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24154902/
Laboratory Testing in Thyroid Conditions - Pitfalls and Clinical Utility: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30215224/
Hashimoto thyroiditis: an evidence-based guide to etiology, diagnosis and treatment: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35243857/
Anti-Thyroperoxidase Antibody Levels >500 IU/ml Indicate a Moderately Increased Risk for Developing Hypothyroidism in Autoimmune Thyroiditis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27607246/
Hyperthyroidism: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32206604/
Subclinical Hypothyroidism: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30725655/
Transient high thyroid stimulating hormone and hypothyroidism incidence during follow up of subclinical hypothyroidism: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34879182/
Association of Thyroid Hormone Therapy With Quality of Life and Thyroid-Related Symptoms in Patients With Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30285179/
Treating hypothyroidism is not always easy: When to treat subclinical hypothyroidism, TSH goals in the elderly, and alternatives to levothyroxine monotherapy: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34766382/
Symptoms Originally Attributed to Thyroid Dysfunction Were Instead Caused by Suboptimal Gastrointestinal Health: A Case Series and Literature Review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35999903/
The Relationship between Gastrointestinal Health, Micronutrient Concentrations, and Autoimmunity: A Focus on the Thyroid: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36079838/
Combined treatment with Myo-inositol and selenium ensures euthyroidism in subclinical hypothyroidism patients with autoimmune thyroiditis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24224112/
Effects of vitamin D on thyroid autoimmunity markers in Hashimoto's thyroiditis: systematic review and meta-analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34871506/
Probiotics Ingestion Does Not Directly Affect Thyroid Hormonal Parameters in Hypothyroid Patients on Levothyroxine Treatment: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29184537/
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DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing treatment.
Music featured in this video: "Modern Technology" by Andrew G, https://audiojungle.net/user/andrew_g
*Full transcript available on YouTube by clicking the “Show transcript” button on the bottom right of the video.
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0:00.0 | Welcome to Dr. Rousho Radio, providing practical and science-based solutions to feeling your best. |
0:15.4 | To stay up to date on the latest topics, as well as all of our prior episodes, make sure to subscribe in your podcast player. |
0:22.9 | For weekly updates, visit Dr. Ruscio.com. That's dr. r-R-R-U-S-C-I-O.com. |
0:30.6 | The following discussion is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or |
0:36.0 | treat any disease. Please do not apply any of this information |
0:39.6 | without first speaking with your doctor. Now, let's head to the show. Welcome back. Let's discuss |
0:46.1 | how to interpret a thyroid lab panel. This really matters. Let me give you one data point as to why. |
0:53.0 | Journal thyroid metanalysis found that 37.1% of individuals |
0:59.0 | did not need the thyroid medication that they were on. How do I mean that? Well, they were |
1:05.0 | able to stop taking the medication. They maintained normal thyroid levels all in their own, unmedicated, and their symptoms stayed exactly the same. |
1:14.0 | So why do we find ourselves here? |
1:16.2 | Well, it's because the interpretation of the lab results, in some cases getting sloppy, theoretical, however we want to describe it, being done in my opinion with good intentions, but I don't think you are |
1:28.1 | getting scientific guidelines for interpreting your lab panels. And there are areas in which we don't |
1:36.0 | have adequate science to answer a question with full scientific confidence, if you will. However, |
1:43.6 | this is an area where there's good science |
1:46.4 | that can give us assurances of, are we hypothyroid, are we sluggish thyroid, what's a |
1:52.5 | difference between those two, and how do we get to the right treatment option for that? |
1:57.9 | So with that, let's run through T-SH, free T4, T3, thyroid antibodies, hypothyroid |
2:06.5 | Hashimoto's, and just give you sort of the straight talk that's science-based to help you |
2:12.5 | improve how you're feeling as quickly as possible. And to start, let's just briefly recap thyroid physiology. |
2:22.3 | Thyroid located in your throat, butterfly-shaped gland that produces thyroid hormone. |
2:29.9 | Thyroid hormone is important, as you've probably heard, because it regulates the metabolic rate |
... |
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