Leading lab expert to update medical community on diagnostic testing for thyroid function
Florida-based expert discusses latest, most effective diagnostic tests for identifying subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism
Who: William E. Winter, MD, professor in the Departments of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Pediatrics and Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; medical director and section chief of Clinical Chemistry; and director of the Residents Training Program, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Fla.
What: "Update on Thyroid Function Testing: Focus on Diagnosis."
Where: The 54th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). AACC (http://www.aacc.org/) is the scientific organization for clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, and research scientists. Their primary commitment is the understanding of laboratory testing to identify, monitor and treat human disease. More than 11,000 attendees are expected for the meeting being held at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL.
When: Dr. Winter's presentation is just one of the informative sessions offered during AACC's 54th Annual Meeting, being held July 28-August 1, 2002.
Background: The American Thyroid Association reports that hypothyroidism--a condition in which the concentration of thyroid hormones in the body is below normal--is the most common form of thyroid dysfunction, and is far more common than an overactive thyroid. Large population studies have shown that as many as one woman in ten over the age of 65 has evidence of the earliest stages of hypothyroidism.
The diagnosis of hypothyroidism relies heavily upon laboratory tests because of the lack of specificity of disease symptoms. Many common symptoms of thyroid hormone deficiency, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, constipation, myalgia, and menstrual irregularities, are prevalent among normal subjects. However, the most advanced laboratory tests can diagnose this disorder at its earliest stages, when the only manifestation is an elevated (above 5 mU/L) concentration of serum thyrotropin, which is also called thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH.
During his AACC presentation, Dr. Winter will discuss the latest, most effective diagnostic tests for identifying this disorder, and will discuss the significance of subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism.
