Thyroid disease or dysfunction can explain a wide variety of symptoms, yet it is notoriously under-diagnosed. The Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study published in 20001 found that 9.9% of the study population consisted of people who were not being treated for thyroid problems yet had abnormal thyroid function test results, suggesting that their thyroid disease was previously undiagnosed. This study also found a significantly greater incidence of thyroid dysfunction in women than in men in each decade after the age of 34.

Who Should Test?

People experiencing symptoms of thyroid dysfunction but who have been told their thyroid was OK; this may be a result of nutritional deficiencies or excessive exposure to environmental pollutants that block thyroid synthesis and function.
• Anyone with known thyroid problems, whose thyroid medication has been difficult to stabilize or dosages have fluctuated frequently, or those looking for the cause of their thyroid dysfunction.