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Free Thyroid Hormones

Meaning

Free thyroid hormones, specifically free T4 (thyroxine) and free T3 (triiodothyronine), represent the fraction of these crucial metabolic hormones that are unbound to carrier proteins in the bloodstream. This small, unbound fraction is the biologically active form that is capable of diffusing into target cells and interacting with nuclear receptors to exert its physiological effects. Clinical assessment of free T4 and free T3 levels provides the most accurate reflection of the body’s functional thyroid status.