Recommendations, complying with Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations and consistent with guidelines promulgated by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP-155), can help physicians and patients maintain radiation safety after treatment with ¹³¹I of patients with thyroid diseases. Both treating physicians and patients must be informed if radiation safety, an integral part of therapy with ¹³¹I, is to be attained. Based on current regulations and understanding of radiation exposures, recommendations have been made to guide physicians and patients in safe practices after treatment with radioactive iodine.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in nutraceuticals, which may be considered as an efficient, preventive, and therapeutic tool in facing different pathological conditions, including thyroid diseases. Although iodine remains the major nutrient required for the functioning of the thyroid gland, other dietary components play important roles in clinical thyroidology—these include selenium, l-carnitine, myo-inositol, melatonin, and resveratrol—some of which have antioxidant properties. The main concern regarding the appropriate and effective use of nutraceuticals in prevention and treatment is due to the lack of clinical data supporting their efficacy. Another limitation is the discrepancy between the concentration claimed by the label and the real concentration. This paper provides a detailed critical review on the health benefits, beyond basic nutrition, of some popular nutraceutical supplements, with a special focus on their effects on thyroid pathophysiology and aims to distinguish between the truths and myths surrounding the clinical use of such nutraceuticals.

Diabetes affects most aspects of everyday life and places considerable responsibility on the patient; therefore, without patient acceptance of what we offer, the therapy is unlikely to be adhered to especially when that therapy happens to be insulin injection. In 2008, almost every physician/health care provider carries new and sleek cell phones (because the newer ones are well designed and function better). Why these same providers continue to prescribe insulin via syringes in 2008 is something that I cannot fathom. Previously, some insurance companies only paid for vials and there was no other choice, but today almost all insurance pay for pens and so the "insurance reason" is no longer tenable. Since Banting and Best discovered insulin in 1921, scientists have continued to improve the types of insulin (making them mimic physiology more closely in order to minimize hypoglycemia and improve glycemic control as seen with the latest analog insulins). In the same manner, the delivery process of insulin has also continued to evolve to make it easier and more acceptable to patients. Studies have shown that patients prefer device use over traditional vials/syringes. Pen devices used to inject insulin lead to better compliance, are quicker to inject, dosing is much more accurate, and, surprisingly, are more cost effective. I challenge my colleagues to take full responsibility for what their patients use. If a provider believes in pen devices, most of his/her patients will use them. The products your patients use is a direct reflection of what you practice. Educating providers to change their beliefs and practices is key to moving American diabetic patients from syringes to pen devices.

Implementing a gluten-free diet and switching to the levothyroxine oral solution significantly improved malabsorptive and hypothyroid symptoms in a patient with hypothyroidism, Addison's disease, and celiac disease without the need to increase levothyroxine dosage.

No abstract