The thyroid gland is a 2-inch butterfly-shaped organ located in the front part of the neck. Although small, the thyroid glans is a major gland in the endocrine system and affects virtually every organ in the body.

What is the function of the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland regulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism, respiration, body temperature, brain growth, cholesterol levels, the heart and nervous system, blood glucose levels cycle, skin integrity, and more.

Thyroid Diseases Explained
Thyroid disease generally involves an underactive thyroid gland, also known as hypothyroidism. In the USA, an autoimmune reaction called autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto's disease usually causes hypothyroidism. As with all autoimmune disorders, the body identifies its own tissues as an invader and strikes until the organ is destroyed. This chronic attack will finally prevent the thyroid gland from producing thyroid hormones. The lack of these hormones may slow down metabolism and also cause w…

Epigenetic Abstract: The increased prevalence of obesity and related comorbidities is a major public health problem. While genetic factors undoubtedly play a role in determining individual susceptibility to weight gain and obesity, the identified genetic variants only explain part of the variation. This has led to growing interest in understanding the potential role of epigenetics as a mediator of gene-environment interactions underlying the development of obesity and its associated comorbidities. Initial evidence in support of a role of epigenetics in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was mainly provided by animal studies, which reported epigenetic changes in key metabolically important tissues following high-fat feeding and epigenetic differences between lean and obese animals and by human studies which showed epigenetic changes in obesity and T2DM candidate genes in obese/diabetic individuals. More recently, advances in epigenetic methodologies and the reduced cost of epi…