Your thyroid plays an enormous role in heart health.

At least 20 million Americans have some kind of thyroid disorder - and all too many go undiagnosed. Although most stats suggest that one out of eight women suffer from thyroid problems, I believe the actual number is much higher - at least 20 percent of postmenopausal women and even closer to 40 percent in some populations.

That's a real problem - and not just because your thyroid regulates everything from digestion and muscle function to the integrity of your skin. This tiny gland, located just below your voice box, also controls the metabolism of every organ - especially the heart!

Subclinical hypothyroidism - normal to high-normal levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) - raises a woman's risk for heart disease by 14 percent, says cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, MD. This is "similar to the risk associated with the combination of high blood pressure and cigarette smoking," he explains.

The thyroid's impact on your heart

A sluggish thyroid produces specific cardio symptoms - particularly in anyone with underlying cardiovascular disease:

• Shortness of breath and poor exercise tolerance

• High diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in your reading, when your heart is resting)

• Swelling or water retention

• Increased LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides and C-reactive protein

• Slow heart rate, premature beats and/or atrial fibrillation

• Heart failure

Undiagnosed hypothyroidism doubles the risk of heart attack in women and significantly increases their risk of dying. Scientists have found four times more thyroid dysfunction among women than men with coronary heart disease.

Women with slow thyroid function are also more likely to develop diabetes - a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The odds for females run as high as 24 percent, compared to only 6 percent in males.

Recognize your risks

Pay attention to early symptoms of slow thyroid function: anxiety or depression, an apron of fat (particularly belly fat), coarse or thinning hair, constipation, dry skin, fatigue, foggy thinking, intolerance of temperature changes, joint pains and the inability to lose weight.

Today, there are as many reasons for hypothyroidism as symptoms. Fluoride in drinking water, bromides in bread and soft drinks, pesticides, and other environmental toxins can all slow thyroid function. Eating too many saturated fats or too much soy can slow your thyroid, as can alcohol and numerous drugs.

Taking estrogen - even when used simultaneously with thyroid hormones - can short circuit benefits from thyroid therapy. Naturally higher estrogen levels during pregnancy put women at risk for lower thyroid production, too.

Stress is another huge factor in thyroid dysfunction. And radiation - even low-level ionizing radiation caused by electropollution - zeroes in on this gland as if it had a target painted on.

With all the assaults on your thyroid, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to test yourself regularly. The standard blood tests used by most physicians to measure thyroid levels in your bloodstream are all too often not sensitive enough to identify thyroid problems.

Check your iodine levels

If you're not getting enough iodine, your thyroid is unable to produce sufficient hormone levels, causing hypothyroidism. Because most Americans are deficient in this critical mineral, I recommend taking UNI KEY's Iodine Loading Test to measure how well your tissues are absorbing this critical mineral.

Or take UNI KEY's Combined Iodine, Fluoride & Bromide Provocation Test, which not only identifies iodine deficiency, but also confirms if toxins like bromide and fluoride may be preventing normal iodine uptake. Repeat testing every two to three months.

Both these tests are easily done in the privacy of your home. After receiving the results, I'll send you my personalized recommendations for boosting thyroid function, along with a copy of the lab findings.

Armed with this information, you can support your thyroid - and protect your heart.

Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman is the award-winning author of more than 30 books on health and nutrition and guest on many TV and radio programs. She resides in Kootenai County. Information: annlouise.com