Broda Barnes

Broda Otto Barnes
Born	April 14, 1906 (Missouri)
Died	November 1, 1988 (Bend, Oregon)
Nationality	American
Education	University of Denver (BS); Western Reserve University (MS); University of Chicago (PhD); Rush Medical College (MD)
Occupation	Physician
Known for	Hypothyroidism diagnosis and treatment; basal temperature test
Notable works	Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness
Website	https://www.brodabarnes.org/

Early life

Broda Otto Barnes was born on April 14, 1906, in Missouri. He was the son of Addie and Robert B. Barnes. His early education set the foundation for what would become a distinguished career in medicine and endocrinology.

Education and career

Barnes studied chemistry at the University of Denver, earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He then became an instructor of physiological chemistry at Western Reserve University for two years, receiving his M.S. in 1930. Barnes received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1931 and taught physiology there from 1931 to 1936. He completed his M.D. in 1937 at Rush Medical College.

Following his medical degree, Barnes served as an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Illinois Research Hospital for two years. He was later named chairman of the Health Education Department at the University of Denver. From 1963 to 1968, he became professor affiliate in the department of physiology at Colorado State University.

Barnes practiced medicine for most of his career in Colorado Springs, where the cool climate proved ideal for his temperature-based diagnostic methods. In 1984, Barnes established a not-for-profit foundation, the Broda O. Barnes Research Foundation, to continue advocating his research on hypothyroidism. Barnes and his wife also established a program of interest-free student loans to aid "worthy and needy chemistry students" at the University of Denver.

Notable/unique

Barnes is best known for developing and promoting a diagnostic test for thyroid function that became known as the Barnes Basal Temperature Test. The test was first published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in August 1942. The procedure involves placing a thermometer in the armpit for 10 minutes immediately upon waking (for premenopausal women, the test is performed on the 2nd and 3rd day of menstruation). Barnes considered a measurement of 97.8 °F (36.6 °C) or below to be highly indicative of hypothyroidism, especially when hypothyroid symptoms are present, while a reading over 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) was indicative of hyperthyroidism.

Barnes argued that hypothyroidism affected more than 40% of the American population, significantly higher than the prevalence of approximately 5% reported in mainstream medical literature. He believed that many common diseases, including heart disease, cancer, depression, arthritis, diabetes, the common cold, tonsillitis, ear infections, menstrual disorders, and skin disorders, were all caused or exacerbated by hypothyroidism.

Barnes treated hypothyroidism by prescribing patients a daily dose of thyroid hormone, recommending starting with a small dose and slowly increasing the dosage in monthly intervals until symptoms resolved and waking body temperature normalized between 97.8°F and 98.2°F. He used desiccated thyroid extract (Armour Thyroid) almost exclusively, based on his observation that it was superior to synthetic hormones. His average therapeutic dose was reportedly 120 milligrams of Armour thyroid.

Barnes conducted notable research comparing his thyroid-treated patients to the Framingham Heart Study population. In 1970, he had 1,569 patients on natural thyroid hormone who were observed for a total of 8,824 patient years. When classified by age, sex, elevated cholesterol, and high blood pressure and compared to similar patients in the Framingham study, seventy-two of Barnes' patients should have died from heart attacks; however, only four had done so - representing a decreased heart attack death rate of 95%.

The University of Chicago library retains a collection of memorabilia, consisting largely of photographs related to Barnes' time there.

Death

Barnes died on November 1, 1988, in Bend, Oregon, at the age of 82. He was survived by his second wife Helen Tucker Morgan (1905–2002), whom he married on September 13, 1981 in California. His first wife, Charlotte Edna Webster (1904–1980), whom he married in 1932, predeceased him.

Published works

• Heart Attack Rareness in Thyroid-Treated Patients (1972) – co-authored with Charlotte W. Barnes, published by Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, Illinois
• Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness (1976) – co-authored with Lawrence Galton
• Solved: The Riddle of Heart Attacks (1976)
• Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver – co-authored with Charlotte Barnes