Hypothyroidism: The prevalence of hypothyroidism in the geriatric practice population of an academic department of family medicine

Abstract

Objective: To establish the prevalence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism amongst geriatric patients, 65 years old and older, in the practice population of an academic department of family! Medicine.
Setting: The outpatient divisions of the Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pretoria at the HF Verwoerd Hospital in Pretoria.
Design: Prospective descriptive study.
Method: Demographic information was obtained from all patients aged 65 years and older attending the outpatient clinics during a 3-montb period, a physical examination performed and a venous blood sample taken for thyroid function tests.
Results: I212 patients were included in the study and the incidence of previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism (subclinical and overt) was 5,9%, 6,6% in females and 3,8% in males. The overall prevalence of hypothyroidism in this study was 16,1%. Obesity was not associated with hypothyroidism in this study population.
Conclusion: Hypothyroidism is a common health problem in the geriatric population and it is recommended that screening by means of a serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level measurement should be done annually. Family physicians should not attribute the subtle signs of hypothyroidism to the ageing process, but must be conscious of the problem and take responsibility for the screening and appropriate management of this condition.