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Thyroid function tests (TFTs) is a collective term for blood tests used to check the function of the thyroid. [1] TFTs may be requested if a patient is thought to suffer from hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), or to monitor the effectiveness of either thyroid-suppression or hormone replacement therapy.
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by looking at the free thyroxine (T4) levels in people with elevated TSH levels, and comparing the ratio between them. People with high TSH and low T4 get a diagnosis ...
The major form of thyroid hormone in the blood is thyroxine (T 4), whose half-life of around one week [4] is longer than that of T 3. [5] In humans, the ratio of T 4 to T 3 released into the blood is approximately 14:1. [6] T 4 is converted to the active T 3 (three to four times more potent than T 4) within cells by deiodinases (5′-deiodinase).
Initial blood tests often include thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (T4). [9] Total and free triiodothyronine (T3) levels are less commonly used. [9] If autoimmune disease of the thyroid is suspected, blood tests looking for Anti-thyroid autoantibodies can also be obtained. Procedures such as ultrasound, biopsy and a ...
Blood free thyroxine and TSH levels are monitored to help determine whether the dose is adequate. This is done 4–8 weeks after the start of treatment or a change in levothyroxine dose. Once the adequate replacement dose has been established, the tests can be repeated after 6 and then 12 months, unless there is a change in symptoms. [8]
Thyroid hormone binding ratio (THBR) is a thyroid function test that measures the "uptake" of T3 or T4 tracer by thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) in a given serum sample. This provides an indirect and reciprocal estimate of the available binding sites on TBG within the sample. The results are then reported as a ratio to normal serum.
Traditionally the amount of HDL-C is used as a proxy to measure the amount of HDL particles, and from there a proxy for the reverse cholesterol transport capacity. However, a number of conditions that increase reverse cholesterol transport (e.g. being male) will reduce HDL-C due to the greater clearance of HDL, making such a test unreliable.
Some patients on LT 4 monotherapy may have blood T 3 levels low or below the normal range, [21] [79] and/or may have local T 3 deficiency in some tissues. [87] Although both molecules can have biological effects, thyroxine (T 4) is considered the "storage form" of thyroid hormone, while tri-iodothyronine (T 3) is considered the active form used ...