Prevalence of Hypothyroidism

[j.]

Many researchers (before the late 1940's) found that about 40% of the people in the U.S. showed evidence of deficient thyroid function (low oxygen consumption and high serum cholesterol), and benefited from taking a thyroid supplement. Cancer, heart disease, and high susceptibility to infections were found to be extremely prevalent in populations with subnormal thyroid function.

Does anyone have a reference for the claim?

 

[Edward]

Many researchers (before the late 1940's) found that about 40% of the people in the U.S. showed evidence of deficient thyroid function (low oxygen consumption and high serum cholesterol), and benefited from taking a thyroid supplement. Cancer, heart disease, and high susceptibility to infections were found to be extremely prevalent in populations with subnormal thyroid function.

Does anyone have a reference for the claim?

"There are some indications, too, very much worth exploring, that our rising incidence of lung cancer and of the serious lung disease emphysema may be associated with the increase in hypothyroidism which now may be affecting as many as 40 percent of the population and in another decade may affect half the population."

That is from Broda Barnes Hypothyroidism book. It is not clear where he is getting the figure either, I would have to look through some of the citations from the chapter. But I have no reason to doubt the figure.

Barnes was aware of the connection of the thyroid to different pathological and psychological diseases and his treatment for hypothyroidism was thyroid. However, he was basically unaware of the dietary interventions and the difference between physiological hypothyroidism (diet induced, which can be corrected with a better diet) and pathological hypothyroidism. The only awareness he had of diet besides his chapter on obesity, basically recommending a low carbohydrate diet, was that protein metabolism requires more thyroid. That is true. To the point where for some people just reducing meat intake is enough to bring thyroid levels up.