Thyroid and Heart Disease - beyond the basics.

Do you feel as if you have many symptoms of a thyroid disorder but every time you have the lab test done, you're told it's "fine."

You've got it all - the cold hands and feet, the inability to lose weight despite a healthy diet AND exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week, tendency towards constipation, dry hair, dry skin, feeling sluggish and tired.... yet why are you considered "normal" or "fine?"

It's my opinion that a complete thyroid test should be run on everyone (men too) every couple of years especially after major events such as birth, menopause, trauma, stresses...etc.

What do I mean by complete?

I mean running the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) plus the two free hormones - Free T4 and Free T3. In addition, I always would run an adrenal salivary test (www.salivatest.com) because the adrenals and the thyroid talk non-stop like teenagers on myspace!

This may help to uncover sub-clinical hypothyroidism as well. That means you aren't exactly overt hypothyroid but you're almost there.

As a Naturopathic Physician, I believe it's important to pull you away from the cliff before you get too close and fall off. That's the difference between sub-clinical and overt.

Why is this important? Well, you can have all those symptoms as described above and only be "sub-clinical" or edging closer to the cliff.

Plus, in the April 28, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine they reported that sub-clinical hypothyroidism can have a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) death than women with normal thyroid function.

Does this mean you will have to go on thyroid replacement? Not necessarily but it's important you talk with your health care practitioner about your options.

Women and Heart Attacks - Differing Symptoms?

What happens if you suddenly start to feel tired, nauseated, and jaw pain? What would you think?

According to a recent study on 25,755 men and women in 14 different countries, women often presented with 'atypical symptoms' and 'invisible' blood vessel blockages yet other test results confirmed they were having a heart attack, according to the study published online in the journal Heart.

To compound this, women often receive less work-up and less treatment than men!

The following is from the article:
Women with the same level of coronary artery disease as men were significantly less likely to receive drugs or statins that help prevent future heart attacks, the study said.

Women were also less likely to get an angioplasty or a stent to open up their blood vessels, no matter the gravity of their blockages, it said.

The women in the study with more advanced coronary artery disease were more likely than men to have suffered another heart attack or died within six months of their initial heart or angina attack.

Female patients also often described different symptoms than men when first reporting to hospital.

While 94 percent of men and 92 percent of women reported feeling chest pain, female patients with no chest pain were more likely to describe "atypical" symptoms such as nausea and jaw pain, the study said.

What do you do? First, if you experience any strange symptoms that sound like the ones in this article, either have someone take you to a hospital or call 9-1-1.

Second, demand equal health care. Make sure you receive an appropriate work-up for a heart attack and then the appropriate treatment!

It's your health that is at risk here no matter what sex you are!