Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT axis for short) is part of the endocrine system responsible for the regulation of metabolism.
As its name suggests, it depends upon the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland.
The hypothalamus senses low circulating levels of thyroid hormone and responds by releasing thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH). The TRH stimulates the pituitary to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The TSH, in turn, stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone until levels in the blood return to normal.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]