Is your thyroid really underactive?

It seems to be the disorder of the decade – doctors seem to be diagnosing more and more people with hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, than ever before. Of course, some of this increase is expected because we’re living longer.

While some of the diagnosis are happening because our testing has become more sensitive and doctors are more aware of the problem, but experts in the United Kingdom are concerned that with the increase in treatment for hypothyroidism, many patients are being treated for a condition they don’t have.

An editorial in the journal, BMJ, Concern over inappropriate diagnosis and treatment of thyroid problems, expresses these concerns and why the doctors are issuing a plea for guidelines.

What do you think? Do you know more people with thyroid problems now than you did before?

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Image: MorgueFile.com