Emailed BBC!

[SecondAngel]

I've just emailed More or Less, and Inside Health (BBC radio 4 programmes, for non UK people) to see if they might cover (for more or less) what the research data really says about things like TSH and osteoporosis/atrial fibrillation and (for inside health) the topic more generally. I'm hoping they might cover the topic like they did with HRT. Messaging here in case anyone else wants to do likewise to increase the chances of it being covered.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

The program covers a wide range of things, and I do believe that thyroid numbers are very much a suitable subject.

I have a half-written email which I shall now finish and send!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to helvella]

Have now finished and sent my email!

We can hope that they will consider the topic of thyroid interesting.

[crabapple]

Inside Health covered Thyroxine in 2013 in an interview with [well known] endocrinologist Mark Vanderpump. There is a transcript here

bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pp5zj

and also thyroid and pregnancy in 2014 in an interview with “Miles Levy [who] is a consultant endocrinologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary”. I haven’t checked his current status. There is a transcript here

bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04kbl8w

It may well be time they had another look. Good luck.

Regarding More or Less, they do tend to debunk specific figures rather than a topic. Do you mind sharing what you put in your e-mail?

[SecondAngel in reply to crabapple]

I wonder what research has been done in the 8 or so years since those programmes aired.

I didn't quote stats in my email (I didn't think to) I just asked them to cover the risks around suppressed TSH and osteoporosis / atrial fibrillation and briefly referred to the tension between patients wanting to be on the right dose to feel well and doctors prescribing based on test numbers. It was a short email, basically the same to both but for more or less I referred to risks/ data and was more general for inside health.

[crabapple in reply to SecondAngel]

Will you let us know what reply you receive? I will follow with interest.

[Marz in reply to SecondAngel]

Any news ? - or is it too soon 🤔

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Marz]

They acknowledge but don't, in general, reply.

The more interest that is shown, the better. If they get one or two emails, they are likely to be missed/forgotten/ignored as being of limited interest.

If they get 100,000 they will see it as a campaign. And ignore them.

Somewhere between the two - regular emails, each individually written, from many people but not as an overt campaign - might get them interested.

If anyone feels moved to write, do so, whenever the urge takes you whether that is now, or in years to come when someone falls across this thread!

[Marz in reply to helvella]

Thank you for your response !

[thyr01d]

Thank-you SecondAngel, so glad you've done this. When less tired I might email too.