Test Your Thyroid Function

Peat noted that many individuals with hypothyroidism exhibit adrenaline levels up to 40 times higher than average, which can cause circulatory issues like an elevated pulse rate and high blood pressure, further complicating the clinical picture

Elevated cortisol levels, for instance, are commonly observed in individuals with hypothyroidism. These elevated levels not only help maintain body temperature but can also induce a catabolic state in some cases. In this state, the body breaks down both fat and muscle, leading to an overall loss of body mass (Peat, 2008, pp. 5-6; Healthline, 2019).

Understanding that individuals with low thyroid function often compensate by producing higher levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, is crucial (Peat, 2008, pp. 4-5; Peat, 2001a, p. 72). These hormones can significantly alter a person's appearance and physiological markers, potentially misleading healthcare professionals (Peat,

According to Peat, optimal thyroid function is indicated by an oral temperature of around 98°F (36.7°C) upon waking, which should rise to 98.6°F (37°C) after breakfast and remain elevated throughout the day (Peat, 2008, p. 5; Peat, 2001a, p. 72).

After consuming a balanced breakfast cortisol and adrenaline levels typically begin to normalize as blood sugar is sustained by food, instead of the stress hormones. This is an opportune time to measure both temperature and pulse rate, as it offers a clearer indication of thyroid function, free from the distortive effects of stress hormones (Peat,

A low resting pulse rate is recognized as a sign of hypothyroidism (Harward Medical School, 2023; Bhatt, 2020).

Typically, adrenaline and cortisol levels begin to rise after a person goes to bed. For those with hypothyroidism, these levels can spike sharply, with adrenaline peaking around 1 or 2 A.M., and cortisol around dawn (Peat, 2008, p. 5). It's not uncommon for people to wake up with a pounding heart during the adrenaline surge (Peat, 2008, p. 5).

He noted that healthy individuals with good thyroid function usually have an average resting pulse rate of about 85 beats per minute, whereas those in less-than-optimal health often have rates around 70 beats per minute (Peat, 2008, p. 4).

Measuring pulse and temperature upon waking and assuming these metrics accurately reflect thyroid function can be misleading due to the influence of stress hormones (Peat, 2008, p. 5).