Question

For each of the following symptoms, identify whether you would expect to see that symptom in a patient with hyperthyroidism, in a patient with hypothyroidism, or in both types of patients. Use your knowledge of the effects of thyroid hormones and your understanding of how hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism would change the levels of thyroid hormones in the body to explain your choices.

Excessive heat production

Low blood pressure

Answer 1

excessive heat production is only seen in hyperthyroidism.

The thyroid hormone, thyroxine increases the metabolic activity of the body tissue. It increases BMR by increasing the oxygen consumption of the tissues. This is called calorigenic effect. When there is excessive thyroid hormone production as in hyperthyroidism, there is increased BMR which leads to excessive heat production.

low blood pressure is seen only in hypothyroidism.

Explanation- thyroxine increases the overall activity of cardiovascular system. Thyroxine acts directly on heart and increases the heart rate and force of contraction. Increase in these two things will increase the blood volume and blood flow, which eventually increases blood pressure.

In hypothyroidism, the level of thyroxine is low. Due to this, the effect of thyroxine on cardiovascular system is minimal and thus blood pressure gets lowered.