High prevalence of asymptomatic hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in hospitalized elderly females.
To investigate the prevalence of asymptomatic hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in hospitalized people, we performed thyroid function tests on a group of 2545 elderly patients consecutively observed in a General Hospital in Rome, during a six year period. The rate of asymptomatic hypothyroidism was as high as 0.71% in female patients and only 0.20% in male patients. In asymptomatic hyperthyroid subjects the prevalence rate was 0.58% in females and 0.20% in males. On the whole, prevalence rate of asymptomatic thyropathies resulted 0.94%, showing a clear difference in sex (women 1.29% and men 0.40%). The asymptomatic thyropathies screening of hospitalized elderly women may result in a very low cost diagnosis of many new cases of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Potestà
P
P
Azienda Ospedaliera S. Filippo Neri, III Divisione di Medicina, Roma, Italy.
Murolo
R
R
Costantini
S
S
Imperoli
G
G
Giardina
F
F
Guerriero
G
G
De Meo
S
S
Casalli
N
N
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood
D013963:Thyroid Hormones