User:Laughter&Learning

I am on the board of a 501(c)(3) that educates the public about causes of dementia that are reversible but little known, seldom tested for, and rarely treated by physicians practicing conventional medicine. As a result, conservative estimates of the number of people dying of dementia who don't have to exceeds a million. We collect information on patients diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's who have recovered their cognitive function and are living normal lives.

Part of my purpose in editing Wikipedia articles is to make the information we have uncovered part of the prevailing conversation around these reversible causes. For example, I am editing the entry on thyroxine (T4) because it is often used to treat hypothyroidism, but is only adequate when the body's ability to convert T4 to T3 is intact. Often that is not the case, and confining testing to T4 and TSH keeps the physician in the dark. My sources include Dr. Neal Rouzier, MD of the Preventive Medicine Clinics of the Desert in Palm Springs, CA.

Here are citations from his website indicating that thyroxine is often inadequate to correct low thyroid symptoms, including dementia:

“Fibromyalgia is frequently seen in hypothyroidism. There is now evidence to support that fibromyalgia may be due to thyroid hormone resistance (cellular hypo-function).” Medical Hypotheses 2003 Aug;21(2):182-89.

“Combined T4 and T3 therapy resulted in improved symptoms, well-being and weight loss in comparison with straight T4 therapy. A decrease in weight resulted from using higher T3 levels.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005 May;90(5):2666-74.

“Long term high doses of thyroid had no adverse effect in causing osteoporosis or fractures” Cortland Forum July 2001:85-90

“TSH is a good test to diagnose hypothyroidism. However TSH is a poor measure of symptoms of metabolic severity. It is, therefore, the biological effects of thyroid hormone on the peripheral tissue and not the TSH concentration, that reflects the clinical and metabolic effects.” British Medical Journal Feb 2003;Vol. 326:325-326.

“Even exceptionally high doses of thyroid do not cause osteoporosis or fractures.” Normal Metabolic. Research 1995 Nov; 27(11):503-7.

“Even though the TSH is in the normal range, patients continue to have persistent symptoms despite adequate replacement doses. These patients are still symptomatic due to low T3 levels.” BMJ Feb. 2003; Vol 326:295-296.

“Patients that took a combination of T4 and T3 experienced better mood, energy, concentration and memory and improved well-being. Patients on just T4 experienced no change.” New England Journal of Medicine Feb. 1999;340:424-9

“Women with low normal thyroid levels had a 4-fold increase risk of heart disease. This increased risk was equal to the risk of smoking and high cholesterol. Low normal thyroid levels are a strong predictor for heart attacks.” Annals of Internal Medicine 2000; 132: 270-278.

“Low T3 levels are associated with increased heart disease and decreased cardiac function. Replacing T3 increases clinical performance and cardiac output. Adding T3 increases exercise tolerance and quality of life.” CVR & R 2002;23:20-26

“Low levels of free T3 in patients resulted in increased disability, depression, decreased cognition, and energy and increased mortality.” JAMA Dec. 2004; Vol. 292(2c): 500-504.

“Low normal thyroid levels result in increased cholesterol, increased heart disease, fatigue, low energy, depression, and memory loss. Thyroid replacement eliminates thee risks. No study has shown any harm or adverse effect of treatment.” Consultant 2000 Dec: 2397-2399.

“Long term thyroid replacement with high doses has no significant effect in bone density or fractures.” Lancet 1992 Jul 4; 340(8810):9-13.

“Thyroid levels should be raised to the upper normal range for a young person. This results in optimal cognition, memory, cerebral function.” Journal of Gerontology; 1999 Vol. 54:109-115

“Combined thyroid therapy with T4 and high dose T3 resulted in improvement of symptoms and well being, whereas straight T4 did not. Not only did they feel better, but the patients taking both T4 and T3 also lost weight. The straight T4 did not.” Journal of Clinical Endocrine Metabolism 2005 May; 90(5):2666-74

“Over 40 studies prove that thyroid replacement does not lower bone density or cause increase risk of fracture.” Cortland Forum; 2001 July:85-89.

“Decreased T3 levels result in increased cholesterol and heart disease. Treating with T3 improves the lipid profile.” Preventive Cardiol 2001;4:179-182