Subclinical thyroid disease in institutionalised healthy geriatric population

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.