These concepts are incontrovertible, meaning they are not disputed by those who understand scientific literature (3).Īfter all, we are simply talking about physiology here. It’s also probable that illness alters thyroid hormone binding levels in the serum, thyroid hormone metabolism, and the uptake of thyroid hormone by specific tissues. It is believed that changes, due to illness, negatively impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in such a way that suppresses TRH and TSH production leading to reduced stimulation of the thyroid gland and thus low circulating free thyroid hormones (2). Our current understanding of this condition is that it represents a state of “normal thyroid function” even though your lab tests are abnormal. The idea behind this condition is that there is some altered state of thyroid function that occurs due to illness. This is the primary reason that Doctors do not order routine thyroid tests on patients that are admitted to the hospital. It is very clear that illness and chronic medical conditions result in these changes to thyroid function which dramatically alter the amount of free circulating thyroid hormone in the body. High T4 syndrome (another name for the same condition).Low T3-low T4 syndrome (sometimes both T4 and T3 are low).Low T3 syndrome (or low serum T3 upon lab testing).Patients with euthyroid sick syndrome present with very specific lab tests which have been classified as the following: It is very clear, and MOST (if not all) doctors should be aware of this, that illness results in very specific changes to thyroid function that can be seen during routine blood tests. So euthyroid sick syndrome can be re-stated as normal thyroid function seen in sick patients. ‘Sick’ refers to a condition that the patient is under and ‘syndrome’ is simply a word to describe a medical state. This condition is also referred to as nonthyroidal illness syndrome or NTIS for short.īut the name can be somewhat confusing so let’s unpack it to better understand the definition.Įuthyroid is a term used to describe a state of normal thyroid function in the body. If you have thyroid disease there’s a good chance you may not even be familiar with the term euthyroid sick syndrome.īut this syndrome is actually incredibly important because the physiology involved in this disorder can shed light on why our current thyroid treatment paradigm is lacking.Įuthyroid sick syndrome (abbreviated ESS for purposes of this article) is a series of lab abnormalities that is observed in people who are sick or ill or in those who are undergoing surgery or fasting (starvation, etc.) (1). In this guide you will learn what ESS is, how it presents, what causes it, and if you should be treated if you have this condition: What is Euthyroid Sick Syndrome? Understanding this condition can help explain why so many thyroid patients are unhappy with their current treatment and help us (Doctors and patients) change how we evaluate thyroid treatment. Euthyroid sick syndrome is a series of lab abnormalities seen in certain people with an acute or chronic illness.
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