Design Studio16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDTThyroid Weeklyhttp://multibriefs.com/briefs/ATAORG/ATAORG.xmlenPatients who did not show signs of hyperthyroidism, but had slightly overactive thyroid glands were at risk for atrial fibrillation, according to data presented at the Joint 15th International Congress of Endocrinology and 14th European Congress of Endocrinology Meeting. Using nationwide registries, Christian Selmer, M.D., a research fellow at Gentofte University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues, identified individual-level linkage among 525,100 patients (mean age, 51.7 years; 39.5 percent male) who consulted their general practitioner from 2000-2009.16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fb251c264fb01Thyroid hormone is essential for brain development both before and after birth. Maternal T4 has been shown to have a crucial role in brain development in fetuses with sporadic congenital hypothyroidism. The importance of maternal T4 has also been shown in basic studies in fetal neurodevelopment before the onset of fetal thyroid function, which corresponds to the first trimester in humans. Moreover, the correlation between mild maternal T4 deficiency at 12 to 17 weeks' gestation and disturbance of neurodevelopment in progeny has been shown in case–control studies in The Netherlands and the United States. 16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fb251608e54b2Only a few countries – Switzerland, some of the Scandinavian countries, Australia, the United States and Canada – were completely iodine sufficient before 1990. Since then, there has been a major global effort to introduce salt iodization to ensure sufficient intake in deficient areas. Over two-thirds of the world's population is now covered by iodized salt.16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fb25265c55e83A common complication of thyroid surgery is transient postoperative hypocalcemia, which occurs in up to 30 percent to 35 percent of patients. This occurs because the parathyroid glands, which are found next to the thyroid, are often "bruised" during thyroid surgery and don't work too well for a short time after surgery. This leads to a fall in parathyroid hormone, which is important in regulating blood calcium levels. This usually resolves in days to weeks. The rate of permanent hypocalcemia is thought to be <2 percent in the hands of experienced surgeons. Prevention of hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery may reduce costs due to extra days of hospitalization, extra medication, additional blood tests and outpatient visits.16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fb25247dfe2a4Misregulation of gene expression in premature births may affect genes involved in fetal growth and thyroid function, according to research presented at the Joint 15th International Congress of Endocrinology and 14th European Congress of Endocrinology Meeting. Luca Persani, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of endocrinology at the University of Milan, Italy, and Institute of Endocrine Sciences Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, and researchers investigated patterns of blood DNA methylation in 31 babies with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) born prematurely, according to their gestational age, growth percentile and levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fb2521070e995The presence of thyroid disease can complicate the evaluation and surgical management of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Retrospective analysis has shown that approximately 20–50 percent of patients with PHPT also have thyroid disease. The reported incidence of thyroid malignancy in patients with PHPT is approximately 3–4 percent. There is no uniformly accepted protocol for the evaluation of patients with thyroid pathology before operative intervention for PHPT. Neck exploration for PHPT normally provides excellent access to the thyroid, whereas minimally invasive parathyroidectomy offers a more limited exposure of the thyroid gland. The increased application of the minimally invasive approach has increased the reliance on preoperative imaging. Modalities for localizing abnormal parathyroid glands such as 99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy (Tc-MIBI), I-123, and neck ultrasound can also identify thyroid pathology.16 May 2012 07:23:12 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fb2554cec58a6