Skip to main content

Non-Thyroidal Illness Syndrome

Meaning

A complex endocrine phenomenon characterized by abnormal peripheral thyroid hormone levels, typically low triiodothyronine (T3) and sometimes low thyroxine (T4), occurring in patients with severe non-thyroidal systemic illness, starvation, or physiological stress, but without primary thyroid gland dysfunction. This is a state of adaptive hormonal change, not a true hypothyroidism, reflecting the body’s attempt to conserve energy during acute stress. Recognizing this distinction is vital for avoiding inappropriate thyroid hormone treatment.