News

LA BioMed is currently recruiting individuals aged 18-64 with a diagnosis of Graves' disease who are not currently on methimazole or PTU for a clinical trial testing an experimental immunologic therapy. Individuals who qualify will be financially compensated for their time. Interested individuals should contact the Thyroid Research Unit at LA BioMed at (310) 222-8172. For more information, visit clinicaltrials.gov and enter the following trial identifier in the search box: NCT02713256.

Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism outside the United States, while Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause within the United States. HealthDay recently described two interesting cases of iodine deficiency in children who were following restricted diets that did not include gluten, dairy, or iodized salt.  Click here to read more.

A small study out of Romania found that methimazole may normalize liver function tests in patients with hyperthyroidism. This isn't a surprise, as hyperthyroidism itself can cause liver issues; however, liver issues can also be a side effect of anti-thyroid medications. Current medical guidelines recommend running a baseline liver function test at diagnosis and avoiding ATD treatment if liver enzymes are elevated to more than 5x the upper limit of normal.  Click here to read more.

Please join us at UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute on Saturday, May 7th for a special all-day patient and family mini-conference - click here to register!

Cost for the event will be $10, which includes a light breakfast and boxed lunch.  If this expense is a hardship, please see the instructions below for submitting a scholarship application.

The Graves’ Disease & Thyroid Foundation will host a FREE patient education event at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront (Bristol Room), 700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 on Monday, April 11th from 4:30-6:00 p.m..

Please join us to to connect with fellow patients and family members and to have your questions answered by experts! Joining us will be:

David Cooper, MD, Director, Thyroid Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Dawn M. Elfenbein, MD, MPH, Clinical Instructor, Surgery, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine

The event is free and open to patients living with Graves’ disease, thyroid eye disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid cancer, and related disorders. Friends and family members are welcome!

Please RSVP via Eventbrite or call 877-643-3123.

A special Thank You to Dr. Cooper and Dr. Elfenbein for joining us and to the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons for providing space for this event! If you are looking for information on thyroid surgery or if you need to find an experienced surgeon in your area, please visit the AAES Patient Education Site at http://endocrinediseases.org/