by Chiara Ganzer

Created on: September 16, 2007

Thyroid diseases cause several health conditions such as heart disease, enlarged thyroid gland called goiter, weight loss, anemia and other health problems.

Cardiac symptoms affects persons with hyperthyroidism, caused by the overproduction of thyroid hormone, which increase the force of contraction of the heart muscle.
Hyperthyroidism is also known as thyrotoxicosis from the prefix "thyro-" meaning thyroid and the term "toxic" poisonous, while the suffix "-osis" meaning condition. Prolonged stimulation of heart contraction can cause systolic hypertension and increased levels of thyroxine produce symptoms that include tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and heart pain called angina. Angina occurs when heart muscle does not get enough oxygen and causes a pain in the chest, throat, neck or jaw, and often in the left arm.

Thyroid is an endocrine gland that is located in the neck and produces three different hormones: thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine(T3) and calcitonin. The function of this gland is to take iodine, found in food and water, and convert it into thyroid hormones which alter the metabolism of target organs, by increasing or decreasing their activity.
The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3 and too low levels of pituitary hormones produces a condition called hypothyroidism, which involve symptoms such as nervousness and irritability.
Interesting to know that iodine is added to regular table salt - labeled "iodized salt"- to avoid that people with deficiency in iodine will develop hypothyroidism.

While a low TSH - a hormone excreted by the pituitary gland that regulates the thyroid gland- indicates hyperthyroidism. The most common form of hyperthyroidism is Graves' disease which tends to affect women between the ages of 20 and 40.

Persons who have hypothyroidism and heart disease beginning thyroid hormone treatment with a low dose of hormone. The first step is correct the hypothyroidism and -in a second time- heart disease with a slowly therapy, to begin thyroid replacement at half or even one quarter of the normal replacement dose.

The treatments to correct the hyperthyroidism can be radioactive iodine therapy, also known as radioiodine, anti-thyroid drugs or thyroid surgery and depending on the nature of thyroid disease. Drugs such as propranolol, a "beta blocker" are useful to the treatment of angina and hypothyroidism as well.

Experts estimate that as many as 59 million Americans have thyroid conditions. Most of them are women or girls.

Learn more about this author, Chiara Ganzer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.