Hypothyroidism
Endocrine · ~6% of blueprint- Pathophysiology
- Inadequate thyroid hormone — most often Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis.
- Signs & Symptoms
- Fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, bradycardia, delayed reflexes.
- Gold Standard Diagnosis
- ↑ TSH with ↓ free T4 (primary); positive anti-TPO antibodies in Hashimoto’s.
- First-line Treatment
- Levothyroxine, titrated to normalize the TSH.
Drug cardsLevothyroxine
High-Yield Pearl
TSH is the initial test of choice; peak effect of a dose change takes 4–6 weeks, so recheck then.
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Sources
Reviewed September 2026- Guidelines for the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: ATA Task Force on Thyroid Hormone Replacement — American Thyroid Association, 2014
- StatPearls: Hypothyroidism — StatPearls Publishing, 2026
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