Persons with bipolar disorder, whether they are being treated or not, are at risk of weight gain and the health risks associated with excess weight. The disorder itself is often associated with abdominal fat, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. In addition, many medications used over the long term to control mood swings have weight gain as a side effect. In one study of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder, 56 percent had metabolic syndrome, often a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Prevalence in the general population is 25 percent. [SOURCE: Dale A. D’Mello, “Prevalence and Consequences of Metabolic Syndrome in Bipolar Disorder,” Psychiatric Times, January 1, 2007]

Potential Causes of Thyroid Problems
                                                                                   

David Brownstein, M.D., author of Overcoming Thyroid Disorders [Medical Alternatives Press, 2002] believes that as many as 40 percent of Americans have some level of thyroid dysfunction. Among items he lists as possible causes are beta blockers, birth control pills, estrogen, lithium, chronic illness, infections, advancing age, heavy metal toxicity, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and hormone-disrupting chemicals in commercially packaged foods.

Dr. Brownstein has an alternative medicine point of view, and he advises eating more organic foods to avoid these hormone-disrupting chemicals. Otherwise, his dietary recommendations are mainstream and consistent with overall good health: go easy on refined sugar and trans fatty acids, drink more water, eliminate artificial sweeteners and eat a balanced diet.

[SOURCE: David Goldstein, “The Many Faces of Thyroid Disorders,” Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, December, 2002]

Radioactive Fallout Affects Thyroid
                                                                                   

Exposure to radioactive fallout, such as through nuclear accidents, is associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer. About four years after Eastern Europeans were exposed to radioactive fallout following the Chernobyl explosion of 1986, pediatric cases of thyroid cancer began to soar in this region.

A National Cancer Institute study concluded that more than 150 million Americans have been exposed to radioactive fallout great enough to cause an increased risk, most notably through above ground nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s.

[SOURCE: Janet Yagoda, Shagam, “Thyroid Disease: An Overview,” Radiologic Technology, September, 2001]


Thyroid Cancer Rates Up in WomenT
                                                                                   

The incidence of thyroid cancer has been increasing in American women since 1981, but recently the upswing has been more dramatic. From 1981 to 1993, for example, incidence increased by 2.2 percent a year; from 1993 to 2000, the increase was 4.6 percent a year; and since that time, the increase has jumped to 9.1 percent a year. Part, but not all, of this increase can be attributed to more aggressive detection efforts.
[SOURCE: National Cancer Institute, “Annual report to the nation finds cancer death rates continue to drop,” September 6, 2006]

Thyroid Not Key to Weight Gain, Loss                                                                                    


Although the thyroid gland regulates the body’s metabolism, its role in weight gain and loss is not as great as commonly believed. An underactive thyroid often results in a mild to moderate weight gain–5 to 20 pounds–but rarely obesity. If prescribed at the right dose, thyroid medication is unlikely to lead to sudden weight loss, although patients are likely to find it easier to lose weight than before their hypothyroidism was diagnosed.

Increasing the prescribed dose in an effort to lose weight is unlikely to be effective since it will increase appetite. More importantly, the high dose could cause serious adverse effects, including heart problems and weakened muscles and bones.

[SOURCE: American Thyroid Association, “ATA Hypothyroidism Booklet,” 2003]

Treat Mild Hypothyroidism?
                                                                                               

Chronically low levels of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 must be treated because the deficit can lead to serious health problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol and heart failure. When hypothyroidism is mild (with high levels of TSH but normal levels of T3 and T4), doctors don’t always agree about the need for treatment.

Supporting those who favor watchful waiting for mild hypothyroidism, the Leiden 85-Plus study found the lowest mortality rate among 
those with elevated TSH, indicating mild hypothyroidism. The highest mortality was among those with low blood levels of TSH, indicating mildly overactive thyroid.

[SOURCE: Louis Kuritzky, “Thyroid Status, Disability and Cognitive Function, and Survival in Old Age,” Clinical Cardiology Alert, February, 2005]