Is 0.847 a normal level of TSH for a woman in her 40s?
It falls within the normal range for a woman, but it may be totally irrevelant. It can be influenced by a number of factors unrelated to the thyroid system. And TSH may not tell you much about how the thyroid itself is actually working. TSH is produced by the pituitary and acts on the thyroid. The amount of TSH produced is affected by feedback from a number of sources, including the thyroid. For instance, if the thyroid has an autonomous nodule (one that produces thyroid hormone without being told to by TSH), the amount of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream may cause the TSH to be suppressed because it’s received feedback that there’s too much available. Even more importantly beyond that is that it may not be normal for you. Just like not every woman wears a size 7 shoe, but it’s the most normal shoe size there is (or is it?
