<<  Unbelievable!  No mention whatsoever that high
 cholesterol can be caused by undetected thyroid
 disease, which when treated with thyroid medication
 usually corrects the cholesterol level. >>


>>But surely all this can be corrected by proper diet
>>and exercise?


Perhaps in some cases that are borderline -- but for
example, I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune
disorder causing hypothyroidism, inflammation and
eventual destruction of the thyroid gland from thyroid
antibodies. "Hashi's" often occurs in families, and is
believed to be genetic.

A metabolism slowed down by under-functioning thyroid
can be affected positively by nutrition and exercise,
but the thyroid disease itself won't be cured.
Untreated thyroid disease can lead to other autoimmune
disorders and health problems -- not worth the risk,
in my opinion, of relying solely on diet/exercise as a
"fix."

Since 1995 my thyroid panels were borderline in the
other direction -- hyperthyroid -- but my doctor
didn't want to treat it, especially since I was
managing lifestyle factors (nonsmoker, diet,
exercise).  Then last year it went from borderline
hyper to borderline hypo. I still avoided treatment,
until earlier this year, when a more extensive test
showed the presense of high amounts of thyroid
anitbodies.  Nutrition and exercise will always play
an important part in the way I handle this disorder,
but sometimes medication needs to be part of the
answer.



Lynda Bryson
[log in to unmask]

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