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ARTICLE |

The Aging Thyroid:  Increased Prevalence of Elevated Serum Thyrotropin Levels in the Elderly

Clark T. Sawin, MD; Deepak Chopra, MD; Fereidoun Azizi, MD; Jo Ellen Mannix; Pamela Bacharach
JAMA. 1979;242(3):247-250. doi:10.1001/jama.1979.03300030019013.
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Of 344 relatively healthy persons older than 60 years, 22 (5.9%) had a clearly elevated level of serum thyrotropin (TSH) (>10 μU/mL), a finding more common in women than in men. Ten of the 22 had low values for serum thyroxine (T4) and free T4 (FT4) index, but only one had a low value for serum triiodothyronine (T3) or free T3 (FT3) index. A further 14.4% had a slightly elevated level of serum TSH (>5≤10 μU/mL), but none had low values for serum T4 or FT4 index. Age alone has little effect on the measurements of T4; age is associated with slightly lower T3 levels, but only in men 60 years or older or in women 80 years or older. Longitudinal studies should determine if a slightly elevated serum TSH rises further with age and if there is a causal relationship between a high level of serum TSH and cardiovascular disease.

(JAMA 242:247-250, 1979)

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