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The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped structure located in the front of the neck. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough of a substance called thyroid hormone, which helps to regulate the body's metabolism. Hypothyroidism develops in about 5% of the population in the United States and is especially common in women older than 60 years. The December 10, 2003, issue of JAMA includes an article about treating hypothyroidism.

CAUSES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM

• Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause. In this condition, the body's immune system attacks the thyroid gland and causes the production of thyroid hormone to decrease.
  
• Treatments for certain thyroid diseases can damage the thyroid gland, especially radioactive iodine that is often used to treat an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Surgery to remove most or all of the gland, usually done when there is a thyroid tumor, will also cause hypothyroidism.
  
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RELATED ARTICLE

Combined Levothyroxine Plus Liothyronine Compared With Levothyroxine Alone in Primary Hypothyroidism: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Patrick W. Clyde, Amir E. Harari, Eric J. Getka, and K. M. Mohamed Shakir
JAMA. 2003;290(22):2952-2958.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT