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February 9, 2024
The Importance of A Full Thyroid Panel Adopting a functional approach to thyroid care involves conducting specific lab tests, which may differ from the standard ones performed at a typical doctor's visit. Below are some of the targeted thyroid blood tests that are ordered at Balanced health. These tests provide a more in-depth assessment of the thyroid's health, enabling a treatment strategy that tackles the root cause of thyroid conditions. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) : Often considered the foundational test for thyroid health, TSH levels actually reflect pituitary gland activity in the brain, not direct thyroid function. The pituitary gland produces TSH as a response to low levels of thyroid hormones, signaling the thyroid to increase hormone production. An optimal TSH level is generally considered to be less than 2 for maintaining thyroid health. Free T3 – T3 (Triiodothyronine) is one of the two main hormones produced by the thyroid gland. T3 is the more active hormone, playing a crucial role in regulating metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, and brain development. It's often referred to in the context of thyroid function tests and is a critical hormone for assessing thyroid health. Free T3 refers to T3 that is not bound to proteins in the blood, making it biologically active and available to the body's tissues. Optimal range is 3.0-4.0 Free T4 – T4 (Thyroxine) is the other primary hormone produced by the thyroid gland. T4 is considered a prohormone, as it is less active than T3 but is converted into T3 in the body's tissues. T4 levels are also measured to evaluate thyroid function. Free T4 refers to the T4 that is not bound to proteins in the blood, making it available for use by the body's cells. Optimal range is 1.0-1.5 Reverse T3 - Reverse T3 (rT3) is a metabolite of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) Unlike the biologically active triiodothyronine (T3), reverse T3 is considered an inactive form of thyroid hormone. It cannot activate thyroid hormone receptors in cells. The production of reverse T3 can increase under certain physiological stress conditions, such as severe illness, fasting, or stress. In these scenarios, the body appears to convert more T4 into reverse T3 as a way to decrease metabolism, presumably to conserve energy during periods of stress or malnutrition. Measuring reverse T3 levels can be useful in certain clinical situations, especially to evaluate thyroid function and metabolism and assess complex cases of thyroid dysfunction. High levels of reverse T3 may suggest that the body is converting too much T4 into rT3 instead of the active T3, which could indicate a form of thyroid dysfunction. Optimal range is: 9.2-17. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO antibodies) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgO antibodies) - Thyroid antibodies are immune system proteins that mistakenly target the thyroid gland, its cells, and its hormones leading to thyroid dysfunction. The presence of these antibodies indicate autoimmune thyroid diseases, where the immune system attacks the thyroid, affecting its ability to produce hormones properly. The most common types of thyroid antibodies associated with thyroid autoimmune disorders are: TPO and TgO. High levels of thyroid antibodies, even when the TSH level is within the normal range, suggest that the thyroid will eventually be damaged to an extent where it cannot produce adequate hormones. However, the silver lining is that with elevated antibodies and a normal TSH, not only is it possible to reverse any existing symptoms, but it's also feasible to prevent additional harm to the thyroid gland.