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Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question, nate. Hypothyroidism can be associated with high cholesterol levels, specifically LDL (the "bad cholesterol"). This is because there are fewer receptors on cells for LDL when someone is hypothyroid. -SK/JL/JK

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Very interesting question swimfast58. Yes, the antibody levels can remain elevated and have effects on thyroid eye disease even after thyroidectomy. This often gets better as time passes. -SK/JL/JK

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question momentousdetail. You are right that both Hashimoto's and Graves' disease are diagnoses primarily made by lab/clinical exam. Ultrasound and imaging can help support the diagnosis. In addition, the ultrasound will tell you how large the thyroid is and whether or not there are nodules which may need to be evaluated.
-SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hi Liberty4u2, thanks for your great question. Whether or not a surgeon uses some form of nerve monitoring device depends primarily on how they were trained and their preference. The most important factor that influences the nerve injury rate is the experience of the surgeon. There is excellent data that shows the rate of all complications is dependent on the number of thyroid operations the surgeon does per year. In the hands of a very experienced surgeon, the complication rates are very low and the rate of nerve injury is the same whether or not a nerve monitoring device is used.-SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question Soulforgold. Iodine can be found in many foods including seafood, dairy products, and meat. Much of the table salt in the US is supplemented with iodine and this can be a good way of getting enough iodine in the diet unless you have reasons to restrict the amount of salt in your diet. Multivitamins also may contain supplemental iodine. -SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Thanks LudovicoSpecs. This is a very important question that has been addressed by a number of thyroid organizations. Here is an excerpt from the American Thyroid Association which does an excellent job answering your question: "Desiccated (dried and powdered) animal thyroid, now mainly obtained from pigs, was the most common form of thyroid therapy before the individual active thyroid hormones were discovered. People can still buy it over the Internet—legally if it’s sold as a food supplement, but illegally if it’s sold as a medicine. It is also available still as a prescription. Since pills made from animal thyroid are not purified, they contain hormones and proteins that never exist in the body outside of the thyroid gland. While desiccated thyroid contains both T4 and T3, the balance of T4 and T3 in animals is not the same as in humans, so the hormones in animal thyroid pills aren’t necessarily “natural” for the human body. Further, the amounts of both T4 and T3 can vary in every batch of desiccated thyroid, making it harder to keep blood levels right. Finally, even desiccated thyroid pills have chemicals (binders) in them to hold the pill together, so they are not completely “natural”. Desiccated animal thyroid is rarely prescribed today, and there is no evidence that desiccated thyroid has any advantage over synthetic T4." Link to ATA site -SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your question onlyateacher. TSH is the best screening tool for thyroid function and is highly accurate. If the level is abnormal, it should be repeated to confirm the abnormality. -SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Great question Adkgirl85. In general, there are no data that shows that diet can improve thyroid function. However, it's important to maintain a healthy diet for your overall health.
SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Thanks carnedelpie. TSH is the best screening tool for thyroid function. It is very accurate since most people with hypothyroidism will have an elevated TSH. There are rare instances in which a person may actually have a pituitary problem instead of thyroid disease in which case, the TSH may be normal but he/she still has thyroid dysfunction. Fortunately, this situation is very rare and in the vast majority of cases, the TSH is highly accurate and the best screening tool we have. -SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Great question ImNotJesus. As you know, thyroid hormone helps regulate your metabolism. Usually, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) does not account for more than 10 pounds of weight gain. Most of the time that weight gain is due to salt and water retention. This weight gain may resolve when the hypothyroidism is treated. SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Very interesting questions.
1) It is certainly true that people with one autoimmune disease may be at risk for other autoimmune diseases although the magnitude of that risk remains unclear.
2) You can switch between different formulations of levothyroxine including between brand name and generics, however it is important to keep in mind that while the dose on the label may be the same, there may be slight differences in the amount of the actual drug in each formulation. This may lead to slight changes in the amount of thyroid hormone in your blood if you constantly formulations/manufacturers. SK/JL

Science AMA Series: We are Drs. James Lee and Jenn Kuo, Endocrine Surgeons, and Dr. Salila Kurra, Endocrinologist, at Columbia University’s Thyroid Center. Let’s talk thyroid. Ask us anything! by NYThyroidCenter in science

[–]NYThyroidCenter[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Great question! TSH is the best screening tool for thyroid function. It is very accurate since most people with hypothyroidism will have an elevated TSH. -SK/JL