Is Untreated Hypothyroidism Putting Your Heart at Risk?

Did you know that you could be setting yourself up for heart disease by not treating hypothyroidism? Are you one of the 13 million Americans suffering from undiagnosed and therefore, untreated hypothyroidism? If so, you’ve most likely been tested for hypothyroidism only to come up without a diagnosis despite having all of the symptoms of low thyroid function. Or maybe you have a few pesky symptoms of hypothyroidism such as cold intolerance, difficulty sleeping, dry skin, low body temperature, or brain fog and you figure you’ll just have to live with them.

Whatever the case may be, you’re not only dealing unnecessarily with the symptoms of hypothyroidism, you may also be doing your heart a huge disservice. If heart disease runs in your family, consider another factor that is being passed down through the family tree: hypothyroidism. I know what you’re thinking: no one ever mentions that heart disease and hypothyroidism are related.

Here are two ways hypothyroidism leads to heart disease:
1. Hypothyroidism causes an abnormal accumulation of a glue-like substance, called mucin, in your connective tissues which causes swelling. This can spread to your heart. While mucin is a normal part of your immune system and present in your tissues, as tissues become engorged with excess mucin, heart function slows, leading to a weak and wounded heart that is unable to pump blood efficiently. This is also known as congestive heart failure. It also can cause atrial fibrillation, palpitations, and an increase or decrease in heart rate. It has been documented that treatment of an enlarged heart using natural thyroid supplementation reduces the tissues to normal size, however, if the treatment is stopped then mucin again increases rapidly.

2. Hypothyroidism causes inflammation that damages the coronary arteries. It is well documented in medical literature that coronary artery disease begins with an inflammatory process that damages the coronary arteries.

The Hypothyroidism-Heart Disease Connection
Dr. Broda Barnes’ extensive research clearly reveals the association between hypothyroidism and heart disease. He noticed that his patients who were being treated for hypothyroidism had a remarkably lower rate of heart attacks. This led Dr. Barnes to conduct a 20 year study of the relationship between supplemental thyroid hormone and a reduced risk of heart attacks. His study results represent a decreased heart attack death rate of 95 percent in patients who received natural thyroid hormone – a truly amazing finding.

So, could this be you? Is your heart at risk from untreated hypothyroidism? As always, the first place to begin is with your symptoms. The classic symptoms of hypothyroidism are as follows:

Loss of energy (malaise/fatigue)
Difficulty losing weight
Weight gain
Fluid retention
Enlarged tongue with teeth indentations
Cold extremities and cold sensitivity
Cold intolerance
Difficulty concentrating and short term memory loss
Decreased mental sharpness, “brain fog”
Hair loss
Loss of hair on the outer edge of the eyebrows
Dry skin
Skin pallor, pastiness and puffiness
Brittle fingernails with ridging
Low blood pressure
Low basal body temperature
Slow pulse rate

Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
Depression or mood swings
Hoarseness
Constipation
Muscle pain and cramps
Joint pain
Tiredness after a full night’s sleep
Recurrent and chronic infections
Menstrual irregularities
Headaches
Decreased sweating
Enlarged thyroid gland
Infertility
Loss of libido
Allergic disorders
Slow speech
Tingling and/or numbness in extremities

If you’re living with several of these symptoms of hypothyroidism, not only has your quality of life declined, but you could also be unnecessarily endangering your heart, as well. Take action today to protect your heart.

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