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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.
TSH concentrations are measured as part of a thyroid function test in patients suspected of having an excess (hyperthyroidism) or deficiency (hypothyroidism) of thyroid hormones. Interpretation of the results depends on both the TSH and T 4 concentrations. In some situations measurement of T 3 may also be useful.
The test is used in the differential diagnosis of secondary and tertiary hypothyroidism. First, blood is drawn and a baseline TSH level is measured. Then, TRH is administered via a vein. After 30 minutes blood is drawn again and the levels of TSH are measured and compared to the baseline. Some authors recommend additional blood sampling at 15 ...
The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism is confirmed by blood tests that show a decreased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level and elevated T 4 and T 3 levels. TSH is a hormone made by the pituitary gland in the brain that tells the thyroid gland how much hormone to make. When there is too much thyroid hormone, the TSH will be low.
The first laboratory test to be helpful in assessing thyroid status was the serum protein-bound iodine, which came into use around the 1950s. In 1971, the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) radioimmunoassay was developed, which was the most specific marker for assessing thyroid status in patients. [81]
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 ...
Time of day can affect the results of this test; TSH peaks early in the morning and slumps in the late afternoon to early evening, [61] with "a variation in TSH by a mean of between 0.95 mIU/mL to 2.0 mIU/mL". [62] Hypothyroidism is diagnosed more often in samples taken soon after waking. [63]
The TSH, in turn, stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone until levels in the blood return to normal. Thyroid hormone exerts negative feedback control over the hypothalamus as well as anterior pituitary, thus controlling the release of both TRH from hypothalamus and TSH from anterior pituitary gland.