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Diseases of the thyroid gland can directly alter the normal function of the heart causing symptoms and resulting in significant complications. To understand how the heart is affected it is first necessary to appreciate how the heart works. Thyroid hormone is very important for normal cardiovascular function, so when not enough thyroid hormone is present neither the heart nor the blood vessels function normally. In hypothyroidism the heart muscle is weakened in both its contraction phase, and also its relaxation phase. This means that the heart cannot pump as vigorously as it should, and the amount of blood it ejects with each heart beat is reduced. In addition, because the heart muscle does not relax normally in between heart beats, a potentially serious condition called diastolic dysfunction may result. The heart contains muscular chambers which contract and cause blood to circulate around the body. Because of valves within the heart, blood normally circulates in one direction only. Blood is returned to the heart through the veins, and the right atrium and right ventricle of the heart pump blood into the lungs. From the lungs blood is returned to the left atrium and left ventricle from which it is ejected into the arteries which distribute blood to the different organs in the body. With respect to thyroid disease it is important to understand two principles. One, as the heart itself is called a muscle it requires oxygen to work and receives oxygen through special arteries called coronary arteries. If there is disease in these coronary arteries causing a blockage within the lumen and reduction in coronary blood artery blood flow, the heart muscle then works with an inadequate oxygen supply and heart pain or "angina" can be produced. Two, in order for the heart to beat in a coordinated fashion and expel blood smoothly and efficiently, the heart muscle is stimulated to contract in a synchronized fashion by specialized tissues within the heart which conduct electrical impulses. The impulse normally starts at the top of the right atrium and spreads down through the heart.  The thyroid gland is a small butterfly shaped structure found at the lower part of the neck just below the mythical “Adam’s apple” and is responsible for the balancing of body processes. The thyroid gland like every other part of the body is not immune to diseases and infections. Hypothyroidism which is one of the diseases that can affect the thyroid gland is a process where the thyroid gland becomes under-active. When it becomes like this, the metabolic processes in the body becomes affected. There are various symptoms accompanying the onset of hypothyroidism. Most of these symptoms look like the normal everyday stress symptom. It includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol level in the blood, and higher risk of cardiac arrest.Recently, a scientific study was carried out in Rotterdam on people who were above fifty five years old. Most of the women subjects were either in their menopausal stages or above menopause at the time of the research. Some of the data collected during the course of the experiments were age, weight, height, medical history, and smoking status. Other tests such as blood cholesterol, blood sugar level, blood pressure, and thyroxine level in the body system were also carried out. All of the subjects went through an EKG exam.From all the experiments and study, it was evident that most of the subjects had some form of symptom that looked like it was hypothyroidism. Some of them however exhibited only mild symptoms while others exhibited severe signs of hypothyroidism. Symptoms like dry skin, dry hair, fatigue and lethargy, and the tendency to feel very cold. Those who did not exhibit these symptoms were those who had sufficient thyroxine running in their bodies.Since thyroxine is important in the regulation of normal metabolic processes in people, the reduction of it will generally result in the dysfunction of the body system. The heart which is a vital organ in the body is also responsive to the effects o thyroxine on it. Therefore, when there isn’t enough of the thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, it affects the normal function of the heart rendering it susceptible to increased cholesterol build up in the arteries which can in turn result in increased heart pressure and ultimately, a cardiac arrest or heart attack.For more information visit: http://www.thyromine.com/?aid=538961 2010-02-02
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