I'm Joe Graydon, and I'm Terry Graydon. Welcome to this podcast of the People's Pharmacy.

You can find previous podcasts and more information on a range of health topics at people's pharmacy.com.

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common hormonal disorders. Why doesn't standard treatment work for everyone?

This is the People's Pharmacy with Terry and Joe Graydon.

When your thyroid gland does not work properly, it affects every cell in your body.

That can cause a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog, constipation, and feeling cold.

Dr. Antonio Bianco, former president of the American Thyroid Association, explains why some people continue to feel bad even when

they're taking their medication. He also offers new ways of testing and treating thyroid problems

to alleviate lingering symptoms. Coming up on the people's pharmacy, rethinking hypothyroidism

and its treatment.

In the people's pharmacy, health headlines, could vitamin D supplements help protect people from the worst outcomes of COVID-19?

Randomized controlled trials over the past few years have been inconclusive. Scientists conducted an analysis on pooled data from five such studies. People who took vitamin D supplements were less

likely to need ICU care. Researchers conducted these randomized controlled trials because vitamin D

has anti-inflammatory activity.

In addition, supplements appear to reduce the likelihood of other respiratory infections.

By combining the data from the five scientific studies that met strict criteria,

the researchers determined that vitamin D supplements reduced the chance of cytokine storm

and the probability of a patient needing intensive care.

Although the chance of death from COVID was cut nearly in half,

the investigators say further studies are necessary to determine whether vitamin D was really responsible for improved survival.

There's more good news about vitamin D supplements.

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week

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