BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuThyroid function testsThyroid function tests are used to check whether your thyroid is working normally.The most common thyroid function tests are:Free T4 (free thyroxine, the main thyroid hormone in your blood -- a precursor for T3) T4T4 (thyroxine) is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. A laboratory test can be done to measure the amount of free T4 in your blood. Fre...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, the hormone from the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid to produce T4) TSHA TSH test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It prompts the thyroid g...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Total T3 (total triiodothyronine, the active form of the hormone -- T4 is converted to T3) T3Triiodothyronine (T3) is a thyroid hormone. It plays an important role in the body's control of metabolism (the many processes that control the rate...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If you are being screened for thyroid disease, often only the TSH test may be needed.Other thyroid tests include:Total T4 (the free hormone and the hormone bound to carrier proteins) Free T3 (the free active hormone) T3 resin uptake (an older test that is rarely used now) T3 resin uptakeThe T3RU test measures the level of proteins that carry thyroid hormone in the blood. This can help your health care provider interpret the results ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Thyroid uptake and scan Thyroid uptakeRadioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) tests thyroid function. It measures how much radioactive iodine is taken up by your thyroid gland in a certain time...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ScanA thyroid scan uses a radioactive iodine tracer to examine the structure and function of the thyroid gland. This test is often done together with a ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Thyroid hormone binding globulin Thyroglobulin Anti-thyroid antibody testsThe vitamin biotin (B7) can affect the results of many thyroid hormone tests. If you take biotin, talk to your health care provider before you have any thyroid function tests.Open ReferencesReferencesFaix JD. Thyroid function testing (thyrotropin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine). In: Robertson RP, ed. DeGroot's Endocrinology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 68.Guber HA, Oprea M, Rusell YX. Evaluation of endocrine function. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.Pearce EN, Hollenberg AN. Thyroid. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 207.Salvatore D, Cohen R, Kopp PA, Larsen PR. Thyroid pathophysiology and diagnostic evaluation. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Golfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 11.Wassner AJ, Smith JR. Thyroid development and physiology. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 579.AllVideoImagesTogThyroid function test - illustration One way to evaluate the performance of the thyroid is through blood testing. The thyroid function test is a group of common tests used to evaluate how the thyroid is functioning.Thyroid function testillustrationThyroid function test - illustration One way to evaluate the performance of the thyroid is through blood testing. The thyroid function test is a group of common tests used to evaluate how the thyroid is functioning.Thyroid function testillustrationA Closer Look Hypothyroidism - InDepth(In-Depth)Hypothyroidism(Alt. Medicine)Thyroiditis(Alt. Medicine)Iodine(Alt. Medicine) Tests for Thyroid function tests Thyroid function testsRadioactive iodine uptakeTSH testThyroid scanT3RU testTBG blood testFree T4 testT3 testRelated Information T3 test(Medical Test)T3RU test(Medical Test)Free T4 test(Medical Test)Thyroid scan(Medical Test)TSH test(Medical Test)TSI test(Medical Test) Review Date: 2/28/2024 Reviewed By: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. 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Thyroid function testsThyroid function tests are used to check whether your thyroid is working normally.The most common thyroid function tests are:Free T4 (free thyroxine, the main thyroid hormone in your blood -- a precursor for T3) T4T4 (thyroxine) is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. A laboratory test can be done to measure the amount of free T4 in your blood. Fre...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, the hormone from the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid to produce T4) TSHA TSH test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It prompts the thyroid g...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Total T3 (total triiodothyronine, the active form of the hormone -- T4 is converted to T3) T3Triiodothyronine (T3) is a thyroid hormone. It plays an important role in the body's control of metabolism (the many processes that control the rate...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If you are being screened for thyroid disease, often only the TSH test may be needed.Other thyroid tests include:Total T4 (the free hormone and the hormone bound to carrier proteins) Free T3 (the free active hormone) T3 resin uptake (an older test that is rarely used now) T3 resin uptakeThe T3RU test measures the level of proteins that carry thyroid hormone in the blood. This can help your health care provider interpret the results ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Thyroid uptake and scan Thyroid uptakeRadioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) tests thyroid function. It measures how much radioactive iodine is taken up by your thyroid gland in a certain time...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ScanA thyroid scan uses a radioactive iodine tracer to examine the structure and function of the thyroid gland. This test is often done together with a ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Thyroid hormone binding globulin Thyroglobulin Anti-thyroid antibody testsThe vitamin biotin (B7) can affect the results of many thyroid hormone tests. If you take biotin, talk to your health care provider before you have any thyroid function tests.Open ReferencesReferencesFaix JD. Thyroid function testing (thyrotropin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine). In: Robertson RP, ed. DeGroot's Endocrinology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 68.Guber HA, Oprea M, Rusell YX. Evaluation of endocrine function. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.Pearce EN, Hollenberg AN. Thyroid. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 207.Salvatore D, Cohen R, Kopp PA, Larsen PR. Thyroid pathophysiology and diagnostic evaluation. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Golfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 11.Wassner AJ, Smith JR. Thyroid development and physiology. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 579.