diabetes Ao, Diabetes And Your Thyroid

[Objee]

Gotta apologize for the scientific stuff in this but I can't get rid of it . . .

If anybody needs the internet medical sources and more info, just let me know.

Agent Orange (Dioxin) and thyroid-based/diabetic problems

John C. Lowe, M.D.

(N.B. The terms T 4, T3 and T2 refer to normal thyroid hormones)

"Transthyretin is the protein that transports T4 across the blood-brain barrier. It also transports T3 across. It may transport less, however, because the binding affinity of the receptors within the protein is about ten times less for T3 than for T4. Nonetheless, this protein does indeed transport T3 and T2 into the brain across the blood-brain barrier. However, T3 also enters the brain, at least in mice, without riding in on transthyretin.

Transthyretin also transports chemical contaminants such as dioxins and PCBs across the blood-brain barrier. The latter chemicals displace T4 and T3 from the thyroid hormone receptors inside the transthyretin molecule. Since Vietnam veterans (et al) are potentially quite polluted with these contaminants, the displacement of T4 and T3 may be a major mechanism of health problems from a brain deficiency of thyroid hormone. The potential health problems from this displacement are highly complex. In The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia *, I wrote an extensive section on the topic. In the section, I noted that after contaminants displace T4 and T3 from transthyretin, bind to the hormone receptors in the protein, and then ride the protein into the brain, the contaminants can bind to thyroid hormone receptors on genes. The binding alters the normal transcription activities of the genes, producing adverse effects that are hard to predict and diagnose.”

* The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia is widely considered the most authoritative book ever published on fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, and thyroid hormone resistance. Written by Dr. John C. Lowe in 2000 and published by McDowell Publishing.

A diabetes - hypothyroidism connection

Hypothyroidism is accompanied by a variety of abnormalities in plasma lipid metabolism, including elevated triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. Even subclinical (not obvious) hypothyroidism can exacerbate the coexisting dyslipidemia commonly found in type 2 diabetes and further increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Adequate thyroxine replacement will reverse the lipid abnormalities.

The hypothalamus is a small organ at the base of the brain. Metabolically, there is a thyroid and insulin connection through the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axis,

From an experiment published in Endocrinology. 1977 Jun;100(6):1604-9:

Studies of hypothalamic and regional brain TRH# content in the rat after administration of various hormonal and pharmacologic agents were performed. No consistent changes in TRH content in the hypothalamus or brain followed thyroidectomy, hypophysectomy or administration of thyroxine or dexamethasone. There was a significant fall in hypothalamic forebrain and brain stem TRH content 60 min after insulin administration. . .

And from a French experiment:

Conclusion: Our present data showing that glucose stimulates and insulin inhibits pancreatic TRH release are compatible with the possibility that this substance may play a role in glucoregulation.

# TRH = Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (a thyroid stimulating hormone.)

(Those BS spikes you sometimes see don't only directly affect diabetic stress, they can cause amplified reactions through other metabolic paths!)

WHat the above points out is that not all Type II diabetic problems are limited to the diabetes - thyroid failures can make diabetic symptoms worse.

Ralph