Hypothyroidism study finds controversial desiccated thyroid as effective as synthetic drugs

When it comes to hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid produces too little thyroid hormones, the standard treatment is to take a synthetic form of the T4 thyroid hormone. Called levothyroxine and sold under brand names like Synthroid, this drug replaced older, riskier treatments that involved consuming minuscule quantities of desiccated thyroid sourced from pigs. For many with hypothyroidism, …