| Abstrakt: |
Introduction: Hypothyroidism is a common but often unrecognized condition associated with significant morbidity in the older adult population. This study characterizes a large population of older adults diagnosed with hypothyroidism and examines concordance of their treatment with recommendations from expert bodies, e.g., the American Thyroid Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.Methods: Individuals seen in general and/or specialty practices who were age ≥ 65 years and diagnosed with hypothyroidism were included in this observational, retrospective cohort study using a large US claims database. Analyses describe the population and examine the prevalence of hypothyroidism, treatment with levothyroxine and, among those treated, whether TSH laboratory values are within a guideline-recommended target range.Results: Prevalence of hypothyroidism in this older adult population increased from 5.62% to 8.24% over the 2007-2015 period. Among older adults diagnosed with hypothyroidism (N = 4025), a substantial proportion (28.0%) did not receive levothyroxine therapy, and, of those who were receiving such therapy (N = 2899), 32.9% did not have evidence of being monitored to determine whether the dosage was appropriate. Moreover, the laboratory results of those who were treated suggest that a significant proportion (17.4%) had a TSH level above the recommended target range, while TSH levels for a smaller proportion (3.7%) were below target.Conclusions: Many older adults diagnosed with hypothyroidism may not have received medical care complying with clinical practice guidelines. Results of this study reveal a number of areas to target to potentially improve the treatment of older adults with hypothyroidism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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