[Anonymous October 25, 1996 at 1:28 pm Post count: 93172]

#1058365

CHICAGO, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ via Individual Inc. — A
nationwide women’s study reveals a significant lack of
understanding about thyroid disease, even among those who
experience three or more of its common symptoms. Not
knowing about the symptoms or the consequences of thyroid
disease may help explain why more than half of the
estimated 13 million cases of thyroid dysfunction in America remain undiagnosed(A)

Tackling this widespread unawareness, the American
Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) and Olympic gold
medalist Gail Devers have joined forces to launch “Your
Thyroid: Gland Central,” a nationwide campaign designed
to help answer the need for thyroid education. Chicago is
the first “station stop” in a nationwide Gland Central
whistle-stop tour, which was kicked off in New York City
on October 8.

“Gland Central is a wake up call to American women about
a disorder that affects five to eight times as many women
as men,” says Nancy R.G. Church, M.D., a women’s health
specialist at Wellness Connections in Chicago and a
member of the AMWA. “The thyroid hormone influences
essentially every organ, tissue and cell in the body. And
when thyroid disease goes undetected and untreated, it
can elevate cholesterol levels, cause long-term organ
complications and may lead to irregular menstrual cycles,
infertility and worsening osteoporosis.”

The initiative seeks to alert women about the thyroid’s
“central” role in the body, enable them to recognize
early signs and symptoms, familiarize them with high risk
groups, and finally, to encourage them to get a simple
test for thyroid dysfunction.

“We are pleased that Chicago women will benefit directly
from this important health campaign and hope that they
begin to recognize the tell-tale symptoms of thyroiddisease,” adds Dr. Church.

Teaming up with AMWA to build thyroid awareness is
three-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Gail
Devers, who personally struggled to overcome thyroid
disease. “Thyroid disease could have cost me my dreams if
I had let it go undetected,” says Devers. “Looking back,
I was exhausted all the time and my body felt like it was
out of control, but now with treatment I feel perfectly
fine. No woman should have to suffer what I went through
— and hopefully, she won’t if she knows the signs and
symptoms of thyroid disorder to look for.”

The importance of detecting thyroid dysfunction is
supported by a recent study published in the Journal of
the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study
proposes routine testing for mild thyroid failure among
the general adult population, concluding that thyroid
screening is as cost-effective as screening for more
commonly tested medical conditions such as high
cholesterol, high blood pressure and breast cancer.

“What the JAMA study shows is that testing for thyroid
disorder is a cost- effective health strategy in
preventing mild cases of underactive thyroid from getting
worse,” says E. Chester Ridgway, M.D., division head of
endocrinology at the University of Colorado. “Thyroid
testing makes sense for the adult population at large,
particularly for those who are at high risk such as women
and the elderly.”
The nationwide women’s study, conducted by Louis Harris,
is titled “Tracking Fatigue in America.” It involved over
1,000 women aged 40 and older, the group at greatest risk
for having a thyroid disorder. Aimed at determining how
much and how often American women experience fatigue (a
common sign of both over- and underactive thyroid
conditions), the study found that 41 percent of women had
fatigue for no obvious reason in the past year. Of these
women, 57 percent said they experience fatigue three or
more times a week. Other major findings include:

— Nearly two-thirds of women (65 percent) do not know
what hypothyroidism

means (underactive thyroid).

— More than half of women (51 percent) experienced three
or more symptoms

commonly associated with hypothyroidism over the past
year.
commonly associated

with hypothyroidism, 75 percent did not discuss all these
symptoms with

a doctor.

Thyroid Disorder Difficult to Detect

Hypothyroidism is the most common form of thyroid
disorder. It is at least four times as prevalent as
hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid. Yet,
hypothyroidism, often remains undiagnosed because its
symptoms are easily confused with other common problems
associated with aging, menopause or stress. “So many of
my patients simply assume that their fatigue and other
physical problems such as mood swings, depression and
muscle weakness are due to daily pressures,” says Dr.
Church. “Because of the vague nature of these symptoms,
people often don’t suspect there might be a medical
reason for them.”

Fortunately, even mild hypothyroidism can be detected
with a sensitive TSH test, and can be safely and
inexpensively treated with daily synthetic thyroid
replacement hormones.
“Thyroid disorders often go undiagnosed partly because
information is not reaching women,” says Dr. Church.
“With Gland Central, we’re driving home the importance of
the thyroid gland with a clear and compelling message:
the thyroid is central to the normal functioning of the
body.”

The campaign offers free thyroid testing in each city.
Following the Chicago event, “Your Thyroid: Gland
Central” will continue to Atlanta and Los Angeles in
November, and throughout other U.S. cities during 1997.

“Your Thyroid: Gland Central” is sponsored by the
American Medical Women’s Association, a national
organization of 13,000 women physicians and medical
students, dedicated to promoting women’s health,
improving the professional development and personal
well-being of its members, and increasing the influence
of women in all aspects of the medical profession.

TSH testing for this program is being made possible by a
grant from Bayer Corporation, Diagnostics Division, part
of Bayer’s worldwide Business Group Diagnostics. The
nationwide campaign is being underwritten by Knoll
Pharmaceutical Company.

(A) Wood, Lawrence C., David S. Cooper, and E. Chester
Ridgway, M.D., “Your Thyroid, A Home Reference,” (New
York: Ballantine Books, 1995). SOURCE American Medical
Women’s Association

Understanding ‘Gland Central’

— Of the women who experienced three or more symptoms

Key Findings From Women’s Study

[Anonymous October 25, 1996 at 5:44 pm Post count: 93172]

#1168358

Personally, I would rather have not known – just died happy – you know – quality, not quantity.

I got the name of a chelation outfit. Got it from a massuese, of all places. I have an appointment Nov. 4.

Pam

[Author]

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