A 42-year-old woman presents with palpitations, heat intolerance, and weight loss. On exam, she has a diffusely enlarged, non-tender thyroid and lid lag. Lab results show suppressed TSH, elevated free T4, and positive TSH receptor antibodies. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:00:13 +0000

**A 42-year-old woman presents with palpitations, heat intolerance, and weight loss. On exam, she has a diffusely enlarged, non-tender thyroid and lid lag. Lab results show suppressed TSH, elevated free T4, and positive TSH receptor antibodies. What is the most likely diagnosis?** Rising conversations in the U.S. about thyroid health, particularly at midlife, reveal a growing awareness of subtle symptoms that often go unnoticed until they impact daily life. For women in their early forties, a combination of palpitations, unexpected weight loss, and feeling unusually warm despite no visible distress signals a pattern that warrants careful evaluation. This clinical profile—elevated thyroid hormones with undincreasing TSH and positive autoimmune markers—speaks to a specific condition that’s increasingly discussed in both medical and public spaces. Understanding this pattern helps clarify what’s happening beneath the surface. A 42-year-old woman presents with palpitations, heat intolerance, and weight loss. On exam, she has a diffusely enlarged, non-tender thyroid and lid lag. Lab results show suppressed TSH, elevated free T4, and positive TSH receptor antibodies. What is the most likely diagnosis? This cluster of symptoms and lab findings strongly points to Graves’ disease—the most common cause of hyperthyroidism—especially in women of this age. Graves’ disrupts thyroid function by triggering excessive hormone production, triggered most often by autoantibodies that stimulate the gland. The presence of non-tender, diffusely enlarged thyroid and lid lag supports the likelihood of autoimmune inflammation, distinguishing it from other causes like nodular goiter or thyroiditis.