title: [Subclinical thyroid disease in institutionalised healthy geriatric population].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to determine the prevalence of subclinical thyroid disease in a healthy institutionalised geriatric population.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital de Jerez, Cádiz.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Cózar
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: García-Luna
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine