Clinical and laboratory features of thyroid hormone replacement therapy in patients of the advanced age

Abstract

Clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism are the one of the most common pathologies in the practice of endocrinologist after type 2 diabetes mellitus. Each year, in up to 5 % of patients, latent (subclinical) hypothyroidism changes to clinical. Despite relatively acute symptoms, the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, especially in the elderly, has certain difficulties. This is explained by the large number of symptoms from a particular body system in this category of patients. Therapy in such people should be started from the minimum doses of thyroid hormones, and the titration of the dose should be done gradually and slowly, with continuous monitoring of both thyroid hormonal status and cardiac functions.

Keywords

• subclinical hypothyroidism
• overt hypothyroi­dism
• diagnosis
• old age