Articles

Interactions between brain chemistry and the thyroid that can contribute to the stress-illness escalation cycle

Bone loss and osteoporosis can result from a variety of conditions, including Vitamin D deficiency and diabetes. High cortisol levels resulting from an overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands can also promote loss of bone, and even osteoporosis if the levels of cortisol remain high for a long period of time. Two of the most common causes of high cortisol are chronic stress and depression. This explains why chronic depression, including depression related to thyroid disease, might induce bone loss. Chronic stress and depressive conditions are often associated with high cortisol levels. Research has indeed demonstrated that osteoporosis and...

Graves’ Disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. The management of hyperthyroidism is important because if left untreated, the effects result in low quality of life and can be detrimental to one’s health. There are 3 forms of treatment available for hyperthyroidism. Each treatment has advantages and disadvantages. The first form of treatment is radioactive iodine (RAI). This therapy targets the thyroid gland with radioactive iodine, causing the shrinkage and destruction of the gland. In some cases, if destruction of the gland results in hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone replacement therapy is needed to restore euthyroidism. There...