Thyroid Newsmakers

Muhammad Ali

Considered one of the greatest heavy-weight boxing champions of all time, Muhammad Ali entertained and thrilled his fans, not only with his powerful, lightning-quick punches but also with his poetic gift of gab. While preparing to fight Larry Holmes in what was to be Ali's last boxing match, Ali was incorrectly diagnosed with hypothyroidism and given thyroid hormones. Unfortunately, excessive thyroid hormones contributed to his muscle weakness and loss of strength, which led to the match being stopped in the tenth round when it was obvious that it was only Ali's iron will that kept him standing.

"In September of 1980, I was misdiagnosed with a thyroid disorder and given prescription medication to correct the condition. Several weeks later, after a complete physical, tests showed my thyroid was functioning normally, and I did not have a thyroid disorder. Immediately, I was taken off the medication. While being tested, I learned of the possible side effects the misdiagnosis could have caused, including heart failure. I was one of the lucky ones-I survived the misdiagnosis and intake of thyroid medication without incurring any long~term damage to my thyroid or my overall health.

"Please don't let this happen to you. If you suspect you have a thyroid disorder or you have been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, make sure you get a complete diagnosis from a qualified physician-hopefully, an endocrinologist. I was lucky, but I could have easily been a statistic. "