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[Subclinical thyroid disease in institutionalised healthy geriatric population]
C Ayala1, M V Cózar, J R Rodríguez
1Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital de Jerez, Cádiz.
Medicina Clinica
|November 15, 2001
Abstract
Background:
Our aim was to determine the prevalence of subclinical thyroid disease in a healthy institutionalised geriatric population.
Patients And Method:
We determined TSH, free T4 and antithyroid antibodies from 242 healthy elderly subjects living in Andalusian public nursing homes.
Results:
Subclinical hypothyroidism was detected in 3.71% of cases; clinical hypothyroidism in 1.65%; subclinical hyperthyroidism in 0.82%,and autoimmune disease in 10.33%.
Conclusions:
There is a high rate of clinically undetected thyroid dysfunction among the healthy institutionalised geriatric population. Therefore, a hormonal screening may be justified in this population.