On Monday, December 8, 2003, at 02:54  PM, Lynda Bryson wrote:
>
>
> "According to the AACE, until November 2002, doctors
> had relied on a normal TSH level ranging from 0.5 to
> 5.0 to diagnose and treat patients with a thyroid
> disorder who tested outside the boundaries of that
> range. The new guidelines narrow the range for
> acceptable thyroid function, and AACE is now
> encouraging doctors to consider treatment for patients
> who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin
> based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04. AACE
> believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis
> for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild
> thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now.
> AACE estimates that the new guidelines double the
> number of people who have abnormal thyroid function,
> bringing the total to 27 million."

Somebody got something wrong!  The NEW range is 0.5 to 5.0.  The OLD
range was more narrow.  The broader range result in treatments for more
people.  See the AACE website.

- Jim