The effect of altered thyroid function on cardiac disease and depression as well as impact of dietary restrictions on the thyroid were the topics featured in presentations delivered at the 15th International Thyroid Congress, hosted by the American Thyroid Association in Lake Buena Vista (Orlando), Florida.
While previous evidence supports a link between altered thyroid function and cardiovascular disease, a new study shows that higher levels of free T4 hormone within the normal range and in individuals with TSH levels are associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death. To support this finding, Layal Chaker from Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, presented the data in the poster “Thyroid Function and Sudden Cardiac Death: A Population-Based Cohort Study.”
Subclinical hypothyroidism in elderly individuals can improve symptoms of depression, according to the findings of Letician Teixeira from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Furthermore, higher free T4 levels, associated with greater thyroid activity, had a negative impact on various outcomes related to depressive symptoms in this older population.
In “Endemic Goiter in a Vegan Toddler in the US,” presented by Olga Yeliosof, Goreyb Children’s Hospital, Morristown, NJ, a 23-month-old boy was diagnosed with hypothyroidism due to iodine deficiency. The child had been breastfed until 16 months of age and was then fed a homemade vegan diet containing no cow’s milk or iodinated salt, and he took no vitamins. Administration of thyroxine-stimulating hormone and iodized salt to the child’s diet restored normal thyroid function.
