The Thyroid Blog

FAQ on Saliva and Bloodspot Testing for Hormone Levels

Many readers write to me asking about saliva and blood spot testing for thyroid and other hormones, and why it may be of interest to some patients and practitioners.

Recently, ZRT Laboratories launched its Comprehensive Hormone Profile home test kit, which combines saliva and blood spot testing in a home collection kit.  The kit allows for same-day testing of the three major hormonal symptom areas - reproductive, thyroid and adrenal. 

The Comprehensive Hormone Profile tests:

• Sex/Reproductive Hormones: Estradiol, Progesterone, Testosterone
  
• Adrenal Hormones: DHEA, Cortisol (AM, noon, evening and PM)
  
  
• Thyroid Hormones: TSH, FreeT3, FreeT4, TPO
  
  

Find out more about this important resource now.

Obesity And Environmental Chemicals: Research Probes Potential Link

Could your couch be making you fat?

A team of researchers at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is investigating whether the increasing ubiquity of chemical flame retardants found in foam furniture, carpeting, microwaves and computers might be related to the climbing rate of obesity in the United States.

Elevated Autoantibodies and Autoimmunity Linked to Preeclampsia

Women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancy are more likely to develop certain dangerous autoantibodies than women with normal pregnancies, and these autoantibodies are still present two years after childbirth in about 20 percent of women who had the disorder, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh report in the March issue of Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Also known as toxemia, preeclampsia affects some 5 percent of pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal illness and death, particularly in developing nations. Signs include:

Anxiety Disorders Surprisingly Common Yet Often Untreated

A new study by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. reports that nearly 20 percent of patients seen by primary care physicians have at least one anxiety disorder. The study outlines the effectiveness of a new screening tool which can alert busy primary care physicians to those patients with one or more anxiety disorders. The study is published in the March 6, 2007 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Belly Fat May Drive Inflammatory Processes

As scientists learn more about the key role of inflammation in diabetes, heart disease and other disorders, new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that fat in the belly may be an important promoter of that inflammation.

Excess fat is known to be associated with disease, but now the researchers have confirmed that fat cells inside the abdomen are secreting molecules that increase inflammation. It's the first evidence of a potential mechanistic link between abdominal fat and systemic inflammation.

Common Chemicals Tied to Rising Obesity

Exposure to phthalates, a common chemical found in everything from plastics to soaps, already has been connected to reproductive problems and now, for the first time, is linked to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males, according to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD-7 Anxiety Scale

If you're interested in trying out the Generalized Anxiety Disorder / GAD-7 Anxiety Scale test yourself, here's the questionnaire that you can fill out, and take to your physician.

Simple Solutions to Postpartum Weight Retention

Researchers have some simple, but effective suggestions to help women get rid of weight after pregnancy.

Exercise, Diet, Supplements Play Role in Lowering Cholesterol without Drugs

When it’s time to rein in cholesterol, the go-to prescription is usually statins. These medications can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol -- the bad cholesterol -- from 25 percent to 50 percent, but statins aren't for everyone. The Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource outlines other ways to lower cholesterol.

UCLA Study Details Clues As to Why Graves' Disease Attacks the Eyes

UCLA researchers have uncovered new clues that may explain why Graves’ disease (GD) attacks the muscle tissue behind the eyes, often causing them to bulge painfully from their sockets, as in the late actor Marty Feldman.