Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

What is a normal free T4? If you are looking for a quick answer then somewhere in the top 50% of the reference range is a good starting point but it is much more nuanced than that. Various other conditions, even taking thyroid medication, can impact your free T4 and change up what would be considered normal. In addition, because T4 is a hormone, we also need to establish the difference between a healthy and a normal level. A healthy free T4 is one that would be seen in people who are active, healthy, and have no thyroid problems. But what does your free T4 actually mean? Free t4 is a measure of the number of free T4 which is available in your blood. Free T4 simply means that the T4 hormone we are measuring is not bound up by proteins and is available for your body to use. But, even though it is available for use doesn't mean that it is active. In order to be active, free T4 must be turned into T3. Luckily, we have the ability to check both free T4 and free T3 to evaluate how well this is happening. So