There are at least two aspects of a misdiagnosis that can cause patients harm, says Dr. Steven Hotze.

"First, it means you are not being treated for what's actually causing illness; second, a misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatments and medicines with side effects that can cause you harm," says Dr. Hotze, founder of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, (www.hotzehwc.com), and author of "Hormones, Health, and Happiness."

"But there's a quality of life issue that's important as well. Many of my patients are women at or near middle age, and they often suffer from a multitude of symptoms including fatigue, low body temperature, brain fog, weight gain, loss of libido, hair loss and depression. Too often, they're told by their physician that 'nothing is wrong.' "

Women are more apt than men to pay attention to their bodies - and they're right for doing so, he says. A women's body includes a much more complex hormonal balancing act, with dramatic swings involved in the menstrual cycle.

Often, the women who come to him with that litany of symptoms do have a medical issue: hypothyroidism. Hotze calls it a "hidden epidemic" because it is so frequently un- or misdiagnosed.

The condition means the thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormone, which affects hormone regulation. Hypothyroidism affects women seven times more frequently than men, Dr. Hotze says.

He reviews three ways in which a missed hypothyroidism diagnosis can affect a patient's life:

•  Living with unrelieved symptoms. When a person experiences the constellation of symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and is told by multiple doctors that it's  "just a normal part of aging," the future can seem bleak. Many physicians will order blood work and tell the patient she's fine because the results are "normal." However, 95 percent of people tested for hypothyroidism fall within a range considered normal. Also, keep in mind that two different labs testing identical blood samples can provide different results.

•  Prescribed unnecessary medication with undesirable side effects. Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft and Fluoxetine - these are just some of the antidepressants that one in four women take, according to a recent report from MedCo. One in 10 Americans, or 30 million people, are taking pills to fight depression, and 30 percent of the women aged 35 to 60 who are taking them are doing so because of misdiagnosed hypothyroidism. Antidepressants can have numerous side effects, from nausea and irritability to sexual dysfunction and homicidal or suicidal thoughts.

•  Uncomfortable, unhealthy physical changes. Untreated hypothyroidism  causes weight gain, which can further affect a person's emotional health. The weight gain comes with all the risks any excessive weight brings, from diabetes to heart disease.

"It has long been a cliché in our society that 'pills are not often the answer for our mental and physical wellbeing,' yet pharmaceutical companies continue to dominate treatment in our country," Dr. Hotze says. "Hormone replacement therapy, as long as bioidentical hormones are used, has been proven to be a healthy and effective treatment for women suffering hypothyroidism."

The distinction between synthetic and bioidentical hormones is important, he says; the latter have the same molecular structure as the hormones that are found naturally in the body, which means bioidentical hormone treatments cannot hurt patients. Counterfeit hormones - those that do not perfectly match the molecular structure of hormones in one's body - can be dangerous, he says.

"Hypothyroidism and aging share an important common denominator - diminished or faulty hormone production -- so it's easy to see how doctors can miss a diagnosis," Hotze says. "But that makes it all the more important for physicians to listen to their patients, and that takes time. Hormone replacement therapy using bioidentical hormones help patients who are suffering extreme symptoms in both cases."

About Steven F. Hotze, MD

Dr. Steven Hotze is the founder and CEO of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, Texas. He's a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and is the former president of the Pan American Allergy Society. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas. Dr. Hotze and his wife of 44 years have eight children and 16 grandchildren.

Enjoy an intimate evening of literature and music during the second Brucemore Arts Share on May 14 at 7:00 p.m. The event continues the tradition started by Brucemore's second family, the Douglases, who frequently entertained guests and celebrated local artists in the Mansion's Great Hall. Graduate students from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Andres Carlstein and Anna Morrison, will read original fiction and poetry. Doctoral candidates at the University of Iowa, Akilah Bryant and Jessica Altfillisch, will follow with a flute and viola duo.  A light reception will be held after the hour-long program. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance are $7 per adult and $5 per Brucemore member or student.  All tickets at the door (if available) are $10. Space is limited; purchase tickets by visiting www.brucemore.org or calling (319) 362-7375. This performance is made possible by a Better Futures for Iowans grant through The University of Iowa's Office of the Provost.

Andrés Carlstein is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Iowa and the author of Odyssey to Ushuaia, a Motorcycling Adventure from New York to Tierra del Fuego. He is a 2012 MacDowell Colony Fellow and Yaddo Residency Fellow, and his short stories have been finalists for the 2013 Doug Fir Fiction Prize and the 2013 Gertrude Stein Fiction Award. Carlstein holds a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he was an Arts Fellow. He lives in Iowa City and is working on a novel.

Julia Anna Morrison is a second-year Master of Fine Arts candidate at the Iowa Writers' Workshop from Atlanta, Georgia.  She teaches creative writing to undergraduates at the University of Iowa.  Julia's work has recently appeared in Redivider and Gulf Coast.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Akilah Bryant is a flute performer, teacher, and clinician currently living in Iowa City. In 2012, Akilah received the prestigious Dean's Graduate Research Fellowship from the University of Iowa, where she is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance and Pedagogy. She also holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Alabama. In addition to extensive performing throughout Alabama and the Midwest, Akilah has been the recipient of many awards including those from the Nelson Hauenstein Memorial Fellowship, the National Federation of Music Clubs, the Josie Etta Daley Memorial Fund, Tuesday Musicale, and the Birmingham Music Clubs Guild.

Violist Jessica Altfillisch is a doctoral candidate at the University of Iowa and Director of the CR Suzuki Academy, LLC, a violin and viola school in Cedar Rapids. Jessica has served as resident violist in the Aiyanna Piano Quartet, the University of Iowa Center for New Music Ensemble, and is currently violist of the Lierre Duo. As an undergraduate at the University of Northern Iowa, Jessica performed with the Northern Iowa Chamber Orchestra in Moscow and St. Petersburg. She finished her undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas, and has since appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in throughout the Midwest. Jessica has also played professionally as a member of the Des Moines, Dubuque, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, and Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestras.

About Arts Share

Arts Share continues The University of Iowa's long tradition of sharing creative resources from the Division of Performing Arts (music, dance, theater), the School of Art and Art History, and the Writers' Workshop. Arts Share aims to strengthen the arts in underserved areas, reaching out to provide access to life-enriching arts experiences throughout Iowa. Through this program, artists have traveled as far as Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Buffalo Center, Keokuk, and Lamoni to present interactive performances, workshops, readings, residencies, master classes, and more.

About Brucemore

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

SPRINGFIELD - April 18, 2013. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon issued the following statement after the Senate Revenue Committee's unanimous passage of Senate Bill 337, which will increase transparency in government spending. Lt. Governor Simon recently announced plans for the income tax receipt, in order to illustrate where taxpayer money goes and how it fits into the state's multi-billion dollar budget.

"When you pay your credit card bill, you receive a statement detailing how your money was spent over the course of the month. Taxpayers should be able to see how their money is spent on state programs and services, such as education, pensions and prisons," Simon said. "I would like to thank Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) for her leadership and the Senate's Revenue Committee for passing this legislation, and I am committed to giving taxpayers the tools they need to learn more about government spending."

Simon's office is working with the Department of Revenue and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) to design an income tax receipt, which will be introduced before the start of the next tax filing season in January and made available annually. The taxpayer receipt will be produced for the roughly 500,000 residents who file online for free, and those who file by other means will be able to access a webpage. This transparency initiative comes at no cost to the taxpayer.

Click here to view a sample receipt for a taxpayer who pays $1,000 in income taxes to the state.

DES MOINES, IA (04/18/2013)(readMedia)-- Maquoketa High School senior, Colton Fey, received the Paul Mann Youth Activist Award for Outstanding Leadership on Thursday, April 11 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines before a group of nearly 400 educators attending the 2013 Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) Delegate Assembly.

The Paul Mann Youth Activist Award for Outstanding Leadership is named after Des Moines educator, Paul Mann, who encouraged students to work for causes that promote peace and justice. Fey received the statewide honor for his many volunteer activities and outstanding accomplishments.

"Colton is a natural born leader. His work in the community and among his classmates is an example of how one person does make a difference," said Tammy Wawro, president of the ISEA. "Iowa is home to many high-caliber students, and when someone like Colton stands out from the crowd, you can bet they are doing extraordinary work."

Fey's volunteer efforts include working with Club hOpe which is a community service organization in Maquoketa; volunteering with the local food pantry; leading the Toys for Tots in Jackson County; volunteering on a fundraising event called "Hearts of Fire" for the local fire department; and being a lead organizer for this year's Dance Marathon, raising over $10,000 for the Iowa City Children's Hospital.

Melinda Orr, a teacher at Maquoketa High School who nominated Colton, said, "Colton is one of the hardest working kids I have ever had in my classroom. He sets high expectations for himself academically and exhibits a stellar work ethic to meet these expectations. He is not one to shy away from hard work or effort whether it is studying for a test, completing a project, or volunteering to help another student who is struggling. Colton leads by example and follow-through."

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