Our Take on CBD, Cannabis | Memorial Day Sale!
From eNewsletter 5/27/2019
** WE ARE CLOSED TODAY FOR MEMORIAL DAY **
DID YOU KNOW that a new study from JAMA Network Open suggests maintaining higher leisure-time physical activity levels and increasing leisure-time physical activity in later adulthood were associated with low risk of mortality, suggesting that midlife is not too late to start physical activity.
Inactive adults may be encouraged to be more active, whereas young adults who are already active may strive to maintain their activity level as they get older.
MEMORIAL DAY SALE!
From today through May 31, you can order sale items for May and June. Even though we're not open today, you can place your order by email, phone, or from our website.
THYROID OVERTREATMENT
Steve and Bonnie: In a recommendation that could substantially alter prescribing trends, according to its authors, an international panel of experts concludes that patients with subclinical hypothyroidism should not be routinely offered thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
This is because overwhelming evidence shows no benefit in quality of life or symptoms, which are minimal in many patients and not present at all in one third of individuals, as outlined in a new BMJ study.
The guideline panel concludes in its recommendation, that for adults with subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid hormones consistently demonstrate no clinically relevant benefits for quality of life or thyroid-related symptoms, including depressive symptoms, fatigue, and body mass index.
The guidance represents a strong recommendation against prescribing thyroid hormones (primarily levothyroxine LT4) in adults with subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels when free T4 (thyroxine) levels are normal.
Subclinical hypothyroidism is reported to affect about 5% of the adult population and 10-15% of the elderly; however, the definition can vary. About 90% of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism have TSH levels of 4-10 mlU/L, but a slight increase may be normal in older people.
When symptoms are present, they can include fatigue, muscle cramps, sensitivity to cold, sluggish thinking, and depression; however, the panel notes that 20% to 25% of people with normal thyroid levels report one or two of these symptoms.
And in the majority of cases, the issue resolves itself. About 62% of people with TSH levels of 4-10 mlU/L experience normalization of thyroid levels within 5 years without any treatment, the report notes. The risk of overt hypothyroidism emerging from the subclinical forms of the condition ranges between 2% and 5% per year.
Prescriptions of thyroid hormone replacement therapy for subclinical hypothyroidism have sharply risen. In 2015, levothyroxine was among the most prescribed drugs in the United States. Most patients do not realize that after being on synthetic thyroid medication, there is no going off of it, as it shuts down thyroid function.
There are safe options to address subclinical thyroid issues that do not require rendering your thyroid useless!
OUR TAKE ON CBD AND CANNABIS
Steve and Bonnie: You've waited a long time for our opinion on cannabis and cannabidiol. We have spent an inordinate amount of time speaking with stakeholders, poured over research studies, scoured the marketplace, and have finally reached an opinion...this article is reserved for NCI Well Connect Members. You can get this article by signing up here. You can get our free eNewsletter by signing up at the top of our website.