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.

Experts Say We Should Take Fatigue Seriously

Instead of dismissing grumblings about being tired or exhausted, people should take these complaints seriously before they lead to a worsened health state or even death, says a University of Alberta researcher investigating fatigue.

Dr. Karin Olson, a U of A professor from the Faculty of Nursing, argues that there are differences between tiredness, fatigue and exhaustion and that recognizing those distinctions will help

Take Charge of Your Thyroid: 10 Tips

As part of my campaign, I polled thyroid patients, and asked them their thoughts about the best themes for Thyroid Awareness Month. In the survey, which received more than 3,100 responses, almost a third of the responses said the theme should be that "doctors need to be more knowledgeable about thyroid disease." Working with that theme, I put together these "Ten Tips to Help Take Charge of your Thyroid." Any one of these ten tips might be the key to transform your health.

Sleep Debt Affects Metabolic Functions

Chronic sleep loss can have a detrimental effect on metabolic functions, new research shows.

"The state of sleep debt has a harmful impact on carbohydrate metabolism and endocrine function," write Karine Spiegel, PhD, and colleagues in the October 23, 1999 issue of The Lancet, a leading British medical journal. These effects are commonly seen as part of the normal aging process, and persistent sleep debt may, therefore, increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders.