The thymus gland is prominent in infants and young children, but gradually gets replaced by fatty tissue as we get older. It is crucial for the proper development and function of the immune system. However, since it has atrophied in adults, doctors presumed that it was useless.

    Since the gland is just behind the sternum, it is sometimes removed in open-heart surgery because it is in the way. Some researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital decided to see if removing the thymus caused health problems. They found the records of patients whose thymus was removed, then compared them to a control group similar in other respects, but whose thymus was intact.

    After 5 years of follow-up, there was a higher incidence of all-cause mortality (8.3% vs 2.8%) and of cancer (7.4% vs 3.7%) in the group that had their thymus removed. Those patients also had fewer immune cells and more systemic inflammation than patients with an intact thymus.

    The difference is not terribly large. If your thymus has been removed, do not panic. But this article certainly suggests that the adult thymus is not useless after all.

    To learn more about the thymus, and the potential value of glandular supplements including thymus, see my article: