Dr. Rudolph Virchow, M.D. (1821-1902), the so-called “Father of Pathology,” is credited with creating the science of medicine. He was the first to realize that the basis for disease involved the cell, and not the humor (bodily fluids). He was also the first to describe the changes that occur during the process of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). A 1999 article in The New England Journal of Medicine stated, “in fact, the earliest type of lesion, the so-called fatty streak, is a pure inflammatory lesion.” Infection-fighting cells course through the arteries. Although the underlying cause of the inflammatory response in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis continues to be debated, Dr. Broda Barnes, M.D., a leading expert on thyroid, believed the infections are associated with hypothyroidism. Dr. Barnes worked in research and treatment of medical conditions and their relationship to low thyroid for over 30 years. Reviewing the work of Dr. Virchow, whose premise was that germs seek their natural habitat – diseased tissue – rather than being the cause of disease, Dr. Barnes looked deeper into the hypothyroid connection. He surmised that those who were susceptible to infection, inflammation and heart disease had an underlying physiological problem that predisposed them to their illness. After research and experimentation, and reviewing thousands of autopsies as well, he concluded that in the vast majority of the population, that problem is hypothyroidism.
The Early Research Linking Thyroid and Heart Disease
The first reported and published connection between hardening of the arteries and hypothyroidism was based on an autopsy performed by Dr. William Ord in 1877. He and other doctors in London and Vienna began removing thyroid glands from animals and noticed greatly accelerated atherosclerosis. When they administered thyroid hormones the atherosclerosis progression was halted. In the 1930s Dr. Barnes worked at the University of Chicago Medical School. When he removed the thyroid of laboratory animals, their life span was halved. The animals demonstrated accelerated arterial damage as well as recurrent infections.
Dr. Barnes met and researched with an Austrian pathologist named Dr. Ratzenhofer. Together they reviewed over 70,000 consecutive autopsies from 1930 through 1972. They noticed that almost all of the people studied had both low body temperatures and suffered from atherosclerosis. As was taught and accepted in medical schools, low temperature equals low thyroid equals low metabolism. They also noticed that in 1930, one death due to heart attack occurred per 125 people. In 1970 it was one death from heart attack per 14 people. The only variable was the discovery and use of antibiotics. Antibiotics shifted the reason for death from infections to heart disease. Over 42% of deaths in 1930 were from infectious disease. By 1970, deaths from infections had dropped to 18%. Due to the new drugs, hypothyroid people susceptible to infection were now living longer. They now survived long enough to develop heart disease and emphysema, cancer malignancies and other degenerative diseases. This is upheld by the fact that in 1930 less than 50% of deaths were of people over 50 years old, vs. almost 70% in 1970. Emphysema occurs with recurrent respiratory infections; in the years between 1930 and 1970 it increased 370%. Heart disease increased about 100% in the same period. Cancer increased about 90%. The doctors believed that these tremendous increases in heart attacks and cancer, etc., were due to hypothyroidism. Heart attacks were extremely rare in the large group of patients treated for hypothyroidism, yet increased dramatically in the general population. Dr. Barnes realized early in his career that hypothyroidism was pervasive and a majority of the population was not being diagnosed or treated. He also began a long-term study to determine if proper treatment of hypothyroidism would prevent heart attacks.
The Framingham Study and What It Missed
At about the same time, The National Heart Institute began the Framingham study, which was originally called “The Heart Disease Epidemiology Study.” Its purpose was to find out why heart attacks were rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. 5,000 people were examined and found to be free of heart disease. They were re-checked every 2 years. From those who suffered heart attacks over the subsequent years, “risk factors” were determined.
In the following article I will further explain and correlate the connection between heart disease and thyroid.
Like Dr. Barnes, I have examined and treated many people with hypothyroidism who were misdiagnosed or not diagnosed. Please call my office for an appointment, not only to check thyroid function but all other hormonal function as well as any general health issues. Dr. Bekermus, 845 369 1310. Thank you.