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| |  Wake-Up Call to Los Angeles Women About Thyroid Disorders Issued LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 1996 -- Three-time Gold Medalist Gail Devers speaks about the widespread unawareness of thyroid disorders. Devers, who has struggled to overcome thyroid disease, recently joined forces with the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) to launch "Your Thyroid: Gland Central(TM)," a nationwide campaign designed to drive thyroid awareness. Los Angeles is the third "station stop" in the nationwide "Gland Central" whistle- stop tour which was kicked-off in New York City on October 8. Highlighting the need for thyroid education, a recent nationwide women's study shows a significant lack of understanding about thyroid disease, even among women who experience three or more of its common symptoms. The study results may help explain why more than half of the estimated 13 million cases of thyroid dysfunction in America remain undiagnosed(A). "'Gland Central' delivers a compelling message to American women about a disorder that affects five to eight times as many women as men: the thyroid hormone influences essentially every organ, tissue and cell in the body," says Debra R. Judelson, MD, Beverly Hills internist and cardiologist, Cardiovascular Medical Group of Southern California and president of AMWA. "Left undetected and untreated, thyroid disorder can elevate cholesterol levels, cause long-term organ complications and may lead to irregular menstrual cycles, infertility and worsening osteoporosis." The initiative alerts women about the thyroid's "central" role in the body, enables them to recognize early signs and symptoms, familiarizes them with high risk groups, and finally, encourages them to get a simple test for thyroid dysfunction. "Thyroid disease could have cost me my dreams if I had let it go undetected," says Devers. "Looking back, I was exhausted all the time and my body felt like it was out of control, but now with treatment I feel perfectly fine. No woman should have to suffer what I went through -- and hopefully, she won't if she knows the signs and symptoms of thyroid disorder to look for." The importance of detecting thyroid dysfunction is supported by a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study proposes routine testing for mild thyroid failure among the general adult population, concluding that thyroid screening is as cost-effective as screening for more commonly tested medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and breast cancer. "What the JAMA study shows is that testing for thyroid disorder is a cost-effective health strategy in preventing mild cases of underactive thyroid from getting worse," says E. Chester Ridgway, MD, division head of endocrinology at the University of Colorado. "Thyroid testing makes sense for the adult population at large, particularly for those who are at high risk such as women and the elderly." Key Findings From Women's Study The nationwide women's study, conducted by Louis Harris, is titled "Tracking Fatigue in America." It involved over 1,000 women aged 40 and older, the group at greatest risk for having a thyroid disorder. Aimed at determining how much and how often American women experience fatigue (a common sign of both over- and underactive thyroid conditions), the study found that 41 percent of women had fatigue for no obvious reason in the past year. Of these women, 57 percent said they experience fatigue three or more times a week. Other major findings include: -- Nearly two-thirds of women (65 percent) do not know what hypothyroidism means (underactive thyroid). -- More than half of women (51 percent) experienced three or more symptoms commonly associated with hypothyroidism over the past year. -- Of the women who experienced three or more symptoms commonly associated with hypothyroidism, 75 percent did not discuss all these symptoms with a doctor. Thyroid Disorder Difficult to Detect There are two main types of thyroid disorder -- hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is the most common form of thyroid disorder. It is at least four times as prevalent as hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Yet, hypothyroidism often remains undiagnosed because its symptoms are easily confused with other common problems associated with aging, menopause or stress. "Many of my patients assume that their fatigue and other health problems such as mood swings, depression and muscle weakness are due to daily stress," says Dr. Judelson. "People often don't suspect a medical reason for these problems." Fortunately, even mild hypothyroidism can be detected with a sensitive TSH test, and can be safely and inexpensively treated with daily synthetic thyroid replacement hormones. Understanding "Gland Central" "With `Gland Central', we're telegraphing the simple yet critical message that the thyroid is central to the normal functioning of the body," says Dr. Judelson. The campaign offers free thyroid testing in each city along its whistle-stop tour. In Los Angeles, the testing will be held in the ABC Entertainment Center, Plaza Level, Community Room on November 21 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Following the Los Angeles event, "Your Thyroid: Gland Central" will travel to 18 other U.S. cities throughout 1997. "Your Thyroid: Gland Central" is sponsored by the American Medical Women's Association, a national organization of 13,000 women physicians and medical students, dedicated to promoting women's health, improving the professional development and personal well-being of its members, and increasing the influence of women in all aspects of the medical profession. TSH testing for this program is being made possible by a grant from Bayer Corporation, Diagnostics Division, part of Bayer's worldwide Business Group Diagnostics. The nationwide campaign is being underwritten by Knoll Pharmaceutical Company. (A) Wood, Lawrence C., David S. Cooper, and E. Chester Ridgway. "Your Thyroid, A Home Reference," (New York: Ballantine Books, 1995)
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