Mild Low Thyroid Levels May Affect A Women's Fertility - Dennis Thompson
Mild Low Thyroid Levels May Affect A Women's Fertility - Dennis Thompson
Having even a slightly underactive thyroid may interfere with a woman's ability to get pregnant, a new Harvard Medical School study has found. Doctors have known for some time that women with low thyroid hormone levels struggle with fertility, but this study suggests that difficulties can arise when the thyroid - a butterfly-shaped gland near the throat - is functioning at the low end of the normal range. More than a quarter of the women in the study who had unexplained infertility showed signs of a thyroid gland performing at low-normal levels. The next step in research will be to see whether giving women supplements to boost their thyroid hormone levels will make a difference. Doctors might need to focus on the health problems that are causing low thyroid levels because those might be the true culprit behind infertility, said Alan Copperman, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science and director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility for the Mount Sinai Health System. "Is this in fact a person with health issues as exhibited by not enough thyroid hormone circulating? Is this a person with immune issues? Or is this background noise?" Dr. Copperman asked. "I don't know we've yet answered that question. If the finding is real, it could just be a surrogate marker for other health issues."
- Alan Copperman, MD, Clinical Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Mount Sinai Health System
