Women with low or high levels of the hormone thyrotropin, which affects thyroid gland function and thyroid hormone levels, appear to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The thyroid gland has an important role in determining how much energy the body burns. Thyroid gland functions are regulated by a hormone known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Increased levels of TSH, as well as increased signaling through the receptor for TSH, result in hyperthyroidism (characterized by weight loss because the body increases the amount of energy it burns) and goiter.

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have developed a fast and accurate way to measure a major hormone released by the thyroid gland--an advance they say may help in the treatment of many women who have overactive or underactive thyroid glands.