Euthyroid sick syndrome historical perspective

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Akshun Kalia M.B.B.S.[2]

In 1960s, the first scientific descriptions on transient alterations in thyroid hormones metabolism were given by several authors who described altered half life of thyroid hormones in athletes under training and with adaptation to cold. In the early 1970s, German and US researchers simultaneously described low T3 syndrome in starvation and shortly thereafter reduced T3 concentrations were observed in critical illnesses requiring intensive care such as in patient’s with tumor or uremia.

• In 1543, Andreas Vesalius was the first who provided anatomic description and illustration of the thyroid gland.
• In 1834, Robert Graves was the first who described a syndrome of palpitation, goiter, and exophthalmos.
• In 1895, Adolf Magnus Levy was the first to describe the influence of the thyroid gland and thyroid hormones on the basal metabolic rate.
• In 1949, R. G. Hoskins was the first who described negative feedback of thyroid gland on pituitary, a mechanism he called “servo (feedback) mechanism”.
• In 1960s, the first scientific descriptions on transient alterations in thyroid hormones metabolism were given by several authors who described altered half life of thyroid hormones in athletes under training and with adaptation to cold.^[1][2][3]
• In the early 1970s, German and US researchers simultaneously described low T3 syndrome in starvation and shortly thereafter reduced T3 concentrations were observed in critical illnesses requiring intensive care such as in patient’s with tumor or uremia. ^{[4][5][6][7][8]}
• Modern theories regard the euthyroid sick syndrome as a form of adaptive allostatic response that ensures survival through metabolic adjustment, although allostatic load may confer pathology on its own.^[9][10]

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