CLINICAL THYROIDOLOGY FOR THE PUBLIC
A publication of the American Thyroid Association

Table of Contents

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

Happy Holidays!!! Welcome to Clinical Thyroidology for the Public. In this journal, we will bring to you the most up-to-date, cutting edge thyroid research. We will be providing summaries of research studies that were discussed in a recent issue of Clinical Thyroidology, a publication of the American Thyroid Association for physicians. These summaries are present in lay language to allow the rapid dissemination of thyroid research to the widest possible audience. This means that you are getting the latest information on thyroid research and treatment almost as soon as your physicians. As always, we are happy to entertain any suggestions to improve Clinical Thyroidology for the Public so let us know what you want to see.

We also provide even faster updates of late-breaking thyroid news through Twitter at @thyroidfriends and on Facebook. Our goal is to provide patients with the tools to be the most informed thyroid patient in the waiting room.

Also check out our friends in the Alliance for Thyroid Patient Education. The Alliance member groups consist of: the American Thyroid Association, Bite Me Cancer, the Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Foundation, the Light of Life Foundation, ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association, Thyroid Cancer Canada and Thyroid Federation International.

December is Thyroid and Development Awareness month.

In this issue, the studies ask the following questions:

  1. Does thyroid function during pregnancy affect the risk for miscarriage?
  2. Does perchlorate exposure during pregnancy affect the baby’s brain development?
  3. Does the diabetes medication metformin affect thyroid function?
  4. Do you need to repeat a thyroid biopsy after initially nondiagnostic results?
  5. Is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis a risk factor for thyroid cancer?
  6. Can thyroglobulin levels at the time of RAI predict cancer recurrence?

We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Let us know what you want to see in this publication. I hope you find these summaries interesting and informative.

— Alan P. Farwell, MD