Thyroid Awareness Month 1999
AACE's Call to Action
Millions of American women with unresolved menopausal-like symptoms, even those taking estrogen, may actually be suffering from undiagnosed thyroid disease.
- A new survey from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) indicates:
- An estimated 1 in 3 women over age 40 who were on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for symptoms of menopause continued to experience symptoms.
- Only 1 in 4 women who have discussed menopause with their physician were recommended to be tested for thyroid disease.
- An estimated 1 in 3 women over age 40 did not discuss menopause at all with their doctors.
- Since thyroid disease and menopause share common symptoms such as fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances and mood swings, the two conditions are often confused, and thyroid disease goes undetected.
- Left untreated, thyroid disease can lead to elevated cholesterol levels, which may lead to heart disease. There also is an increased risk for osteoporosis, depression and infertility.
- The focus of this year's Thyroid Awareness Month is "Thyroid: The Missing T in HRT," a national education campaign to alert both patients and the medical community to the overlooked similarities between thyroid disease and menopausal-like symptoms.
- With millions of American women continuing to suffer needlessly from undetected thyroid disease, AACE is urging all American women to:
- Ask their physician to perform a simple blood test called a TSH test to diagnose whether thyroid disease is the underlying problem.
- Conduct a routine self-exam called the "Thyroid Neck Check" to detect an enlarged thyroid, which may indicate a thyroid disorder.
- By the end of this year, it is estimated that 50 million American women will have reached menopause, accounting for 18 percent of the total U.S. population.
For Media Inquiries Only, Please Contact:
Louise Leavitt or Bryn Marie Putt at (212) 453-2000.
Previous Thyroid Awareness Month Campaigns
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2007 How's Your Thyroid - Who needs to know?
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2006 A Thyroid Imbalance? Target Your Numbers
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2005 A Healthy Thyroid: You Make The Difference
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2004 Take Control of Your Health: Keep Your Thyroid in Balance
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2003 Thyroid Undercover Hiding in Plain Sight
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2002 The Necks Generation
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2001 The Necks Time is Now Think Thyroid
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2000 Take Cholesterol by the Neck
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1999 Thyroid: The Missing T in HRT
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1998 When the Blues Hit
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1997 1995 Not available on AACE Online