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Editorial: Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Hypothyroidism

Editorial: Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Hypothyroidism

by | Jun 1, 2022

Post Categories: Chronic and Infectious Diseases | Integrative Medicine | Metabolic Syndrome | Perspectives | Thyroid Health

For many decades, the prevailing opinion in mainstream medicine has been that levothyroxine (T4) is the only appropriate treatment for nearly all patients with hypothyroidism. During that time, some practitioners (including this writer) have held a dissenting opinion. Our view is that a substantial minority of hypothyroid patients respond better to preparations that contain both T4 and triiodothyronine (T3; also called liothyronine) than to products that contain only T4.

It is generally agreed that T3 is the biologically active thyroid hormone and that T4 is a precursor molecule that is converted in the body to T3. The argument used to support the mainstream opinion about thyroid therapy is that the body is capable of converting T4 to T3 at exactly the rate it needs to. Thus, even though the human thyroid gland secretes both T3 and T4, T4 alone is all that is needed for complete thyroid hormone-replacement therapy.

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Author

Alan R. Gaby, MD

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