Low T3 and diabetes risk

[Mollyfan]

I have just read this in depth article on the diabetes U.K. website which clearly states that

Low thyroid function is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and pre diabetes.

Low T3 increases the risk.

The risk is increased even if T3 is low in range.

Insulin secretion requires good levels of T3 getting into the cells and good cortisol

this study was done in 2016 Has anyone got any more up to date evidence as this is a strong reason to persuade a diabetic specialist to treat hypothyroidism adequately

diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/can....

[Mollyfan]

Also….

nature.com/articles/s41598-...

[flosslechops in reply to Mollyfan]

I saw a diabetic endo in 2019,I asked him why I had diabetes-he replied 'it doesn't matter what the cause is, the treatment is the same' I said I didn't agree with that and he just snorted at me,so I'm sorry to say I think diabetic 'specialists' are quite useless too!!

[Marz]

Whilst emphasis remains on TSH testing only, this will continue to be a HUGE problem. We read daily of Endocrinologists being Diabetes specialists and yet they know so little about the Thyroid.

Time to join up the dots....

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Certainly I was creeping towards pre-diabetic levels when my fT3 was rock bottom and vastly improved with the addition of T3

Kidney function had also declined

NHS doesn't do root cause 😕

[Bearo in reply to TiggerMe]

By ‘creeping towards diabetic levels’ do you mean HbA1c tests or some other testing?

My HbA1c levels hover between 40-43 but have only been tested in recent years since I’ve been on Levo. I wasn’t sure how worrying these results were or what to do about it.

My FT3 was 50something % when last tested; FT4 in 60s %. I was trying not to go higher because of the cancer risk, but maybe I should up my Levo a tiny bit?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Bearo]

When my fT3 was rock bottom my HbA1C had climbed from 36 a couple of years earlier to 40 (Pre diabetic kicks in at 42) after adding in T3 is has dropped back to 36 🤷‍♀️

Kidneys eGFR were at 77ml/min and now up to 92... best they've been in 14 years!

I shall go read your Bio to understand the cancer risk 🤗

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to TiggerMe]

Great Bio 👏 I can align with your childhood!

I'm thinking motion sickness is a low B Vit thing and I think particularly B6 does your B complex have the better version P-5-P as I found the Pyridoxine lowered my levels as for some it blocks uptake!!

Nails and teeth suggests low Zinc?

I'm thinking we have both just ticked over with low thyroid all our lives with various traumas causing bigger blips 😕luckily you are a good converter

Have you investigated your sex hormone levels? Low estrogen effects bladder, hearing and everything in between 😳

I'm not aware of the connection between cancer risk and thyroid levels after thyroid cancer?

[Bearo in reply to TiggerMe]

Thanks, Eeyore,

I use Thorne basic B so that’s probably good.

I’ve never tested zinc or sex hormones.

Re: cancer links - Thyroid uk has an article on it.

I saved some posts from jimh111 but I can’t work out how to post the research links on my ipad! The bits below are cobbled together and taken out of context. Jim’s main point was that combination therapy is safer than levothyroxine mono therapy because with Levo we often end up with high FT4 in order to raise FT3 . There is a link between high FT4 levels and e.g the risk of developing cancer among other things.

“……Some people naturally have a lower fT4 with normal fT3 and they live longer. studies show that people with an fT4 in the lowest tertile live three and a half years longer than those with fT4 in the highest tertile.

High normal fT4 is associated with cancer and cardiac mortality, along with a shorter life expectancy. T4 has non-genomic actions, it binds to receptors that promote cancer and has direct actions on the heart . Too much T3 is harmful but T4 can be harmful even within normal limits.

Do we use levothyroxine monotherapy with high fT4 levels (Aiming for Ft3 at least 60-70% through range and frequently Ft4 will need to be a little higher) and accept the risks of cancer, cardiac disease, and a reduced lifespan? “

Apologies to Jim for extracting snippets without his reasoned discussion and caveats.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Bearo]

Thanks Bearo, ah yes I'm aware that OTT fT4 is the worst treatment regime long term for all of us... I was wondering if they change the range for people that have suffered from Thyroid cancer and are therefore more likely to provide combined treatment straight after surgery to avoid this?

Jim is a wealth of knowledge 🤗

[grumpyold]

I agree with Flossiechops. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 8 years ago despite always being mindful of what I ate and exercising regularly. I was undermedicated on levothyroxine alone for many years until I took my thyroid health into my own hands.I blame the NHS 100% for my low T3 which I'm convinced was responsible for me becoming diabetic. The endo I was referred to said would I like to see a dietician to educate me on appetite control. I could have slapped him!!