What is the effect of hCG on thyroid function early in pregnancy?

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Multiple Choice

What is the effect of hCG on thyroid function early in pregnancy?

Explanation:
In early pregnancy, hCG rises a lot and can act like TSH on the thyroid because of structural similarity. This means hCG can weakly stimulate the TSH receptors on thyroid follicular cells, nudging the gland to make more thyroid hormones (T4 and T3). The effect is usually mild and temporary, so TSH tends to be suppressed while free T4 is normal to mildly elevated. As hCG levels peak and then fall, this stimulation fades and thyroid function returns to the nonpregnant state. So the best description is that hCG causes a transient thyrotoxicosis through weak stimulation of TSH receptors.

In early pregnancy, hCG rises a lot and can act like TSH on the thyroid because of structural similarity. This means hCG can weakly stimulate the TSH receptors on thyroid follicular cells, nudging the gland to make more thyroid hormones (T4 and T3). The effect is usually mild and temporary, so TSH tends to be suppressed while free T4 is normal to mildly elevated. As hCG levels peak and then fall, this stimulation fades and thyroid function returns to the nonpregnant state. So the best description is that hCG causes a transient thyrotoxicosis through weak stimulation of TSH receptors.

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