Hypothyroidism and Heart Attack

The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped structure found just below the Adam's apple and is responsible for producing a hormone called thyroxine. A lack of thyroxine can lead to increased cholesterol build-up in the arteries, which can in turn result in increased heart pressure, and ultimately, a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Therefore, the heart is responsive to the effects of thyroxine.

Some interesting results were revealed by a scientific study carried out in Rotterdam on women who were over fifty-five years old. All the subjects were either in their menopausal stages or past menopause. Age, weight, height, an EKG exam, medical history, and smoking status data were collected from everyone. Other tests, such as blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood sugar level, and thyroxine level, were also taken.

It was evident from the results that most of the subjects had some form of symptom that looked like hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid.)  Some of them had only mild symptoms, while others exhibited severe signs, such as fatigue and lethargy, dry skin, dry hair, and the tendency to feel very cold. Those who did not exhibit these symptoms had sufficient levels of thyroxine.

Hypothyroidism is one of several diseases that can affect the thyroid gland. When the thyroid becomes under-active, the metabolic processes in the body are affected. The various symptoms of hypothyroidism can include high blood pressure and high cholesterol level in the blood.  Unfortunately, these can also look like everyday stress symptoms.

If you are experiencing one or more of these, it is best to consult a good nutritionist to see if you have an under-active thyroid. If you do, there are natural supplements that can be taken, to nourish your thyroid back to normalcy.