title: Does age play a role in clinical presentation of hypothyroidism?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if aging modifies the clinical presentation of hypothyroidism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of 24 clinical signs of hypothyroidism between elderly patients (> or = 70 years of age) and younger patients (< or = 55 years of age).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study of patients with chemically confirmed overt hypothyroidism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty seven elderly patients (79.3 +/- 6.7 years) and 54 younger patients (40.8 +/- 9 years) were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither mean duration of evolution nor mean thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level were different between the 2 groups. Two signs were found in more than 50% of the elderly patients (fatigue and weakness). Four signs were significantly less frequent in elderly patients (chilliness, paresthesiae, weight gain, and cramps). Mean number of clinical signs in the elderly (6.6 +/- 4) was significantly smaller than in young patients (9.3 +/- 4.7) (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the presentation of hypothyroidism is altered in the elderly in comparison with young patients in that there are (1) fewer signs or symptoms and (2) diminished frequency of some classical signs. Our results underline the importance of TSH measurement in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Gériatrique, Universitaire de Rouen, Hôpital de Bois-Guillaume, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doucet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trivalle
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chassagne
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Perol
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vuillermet
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Manchon
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Menard
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bercoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin