Loading...
Because thyroid testing is performed widely in older adults, clinicians often encounter cases of subclinical hypothyroidism (i.e., elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] and normal serum free thyroxine [T4] levels). According to the authors, this U.S. study is the largest longitudinal cohort study of the natural history of subclinical hypothyroidism in older community-dwelling adults. About 3600 people (age, ≥65; mean age, 75) were tested at baseline; those with subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH level ≥4.5 mIU/L) were retested at 2 and 4 years.
At baseline, 13 of every 100 people exhibited subclinical hypothyroidism. The figure shows outcomes for 13 hypothetical participants with subclinical hypothyroidism at 2 and 4 years. Participa…
