The thyroid hormone is a vital hormone in the human body needed for proper cell growth or maturity, modulates other hormones, and energy production. The low energy states leads to chronic inactivity that leads to obesity if hypothyroid states in myxedema is left unabated. The decreasing rate of drug metabolism can make the patient prone to over dosage from common medications like hypnotics, sedatives, anesthetics, and morphine. Neurologic symptoms in myxedema is due to the decreased thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) which reduces the cerebral oxygen and glucose consumption. Cardiac function is significantly depressed due to the decreased contractility of the myocytes due to the low T3 hormones that decreases available supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for the heart cells [5].
The decrease in cardiac output and the increase in the vascular resistance may lead to signs of cardiac failure like pulmonary effusion and pericardial effusion with edema. The fluid accumulation in the lungs impairs the oxygen exchange function of the organ. Long standing low cardiac output will lead to renal insufficiency and compromises the kidney. The low serum thyroid hormonal levels decreases intestinal motility that advertently leads to megacolon, gastric atony, and paralytic ileus.