Notes on thyroid from practitioner:
Thyroid Dr. Jerry Felts
I have thyroid issues and my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) lab results was above 2.0, what does that mean?
TSH is produced by the pituitary gland to control the function of your thyroid gland.
A high TSH means your pituitary senses that your thyroid is underactive.
Many labs are misleading physicians by using outdated ranges of normal for TSH
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey demonstrated that the mean TSH in apparently euthyroid (normal healthy participants is 1.4 ult/ml.
The National Academy for Clinical Biochemistry has recommended since 2002 that a serum level between 0.5-2.0ulU/ml, be considered the optimal therapeutic target for replacement treatment of
hypothyroidism.
There are many studies showing that any TSH levels above 2.5 is associated with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides,, elevated b/p, and higher body mass index.
I recommend to my patients to always have their doctor include TSH levels checked when they have a thyroid panel done.
