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One in ten Americans--more than the number of Americans with cancer
and diabetes combined--suffer from thyroid disease. Yet half remain
undiagnosed (AACE). Thyroid malfunction is
linked to a number of other diseases. Most recently, it has been shown
that thyroid malfunction can cause dangerously
high levels of cholesterol
(ATA).
The thyroid gland is located in the neck below the Adam's Apple. And while it may be small,
we have serious problems when it malfunctions. Hormones secreted by the thyroid travel to all tissues
in our bodies, where they control the rate at which foods break down
and energy is released or stored. Small
gland, big problems: Diagnosing thyroid disease describes the thyroid,
what it does, and what happens when it malfunctions.
Check your own knowledge of the thyroid and its activities with
a quiz from Australia's Better
Health Channel.
The following links describing the biology of the thyroid and the endocrine
system, of which the thyroid gland is a part, are listed in order of
increasing complexity:
Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum has
these resources related to thyroid health:
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