Posts Tagged ‘longevity’
Thyroid, obesity, longevity and hair loss
An underactive thyroid gland is one of the most discussed endocrine conditions in the U.S. and wanted to see if the thyroid can be the key to long life, at least for some people, according to researchers.
Dr. Martin Surks and his colleagues at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York studied hundreds of people who had lived to 100 years and found evidence in people with low thyroid activity, those most likely to be in that group.
We used a national health survey to assess the average hormone levels in people of different ages.
The thyroid is located in the neck and is a kind of master gland, secretes hormones that affect metabolism and therefore has a relationship with obesity.
Doctors often monitor their activity as an indirect measure of levels of the hormone (TSH) or thyroid stimulating hormone.
Indicate that high levels of TSH is a condition known as hypothyroidism and low levels suggest that it is overactive, called hyperthyroidism.
People with low thyroid function can lose hair, gain weight and feel weak, while those with overactive thyroid can lose weight and feel a constant nervous state, but both can be easily treated with a daily pill.
Surks and his colleagues found that between 15 and 20 percent of people over 60 have TSH levels that suggest an underactive thyroid gland, which is believed to be normal in older people, as sign of longevity.