Though a relatively small gland, the thyroid has a far-reaching effect on the function of some of the body’s most important organs such as the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin. Without the hormones the thyroid produces and releases into the bloodstream, many of the body’s essential functions slow down. “Today, about 5 to 7.5 percent of the U.S. population has some kind of thyroid disease,” says Dr. Asma Khan, a practicing endocrinologist with Academic Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Erlanger Medical Center. With the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in the U.S., this tiny gland continues to draw the attention of both patients and medical professionals.

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