Thyroid Awareness Month: 2001
Thyroid Through the Ages: The Senior Years (Aging)
Senior Years
For some older people, the golden years of life are not what they expected, due to the onset of symptoms such as fatigue, depression, forgetfulness, insomnia, and changes in appetite and weight. Most seniors erroneously assume that these feelings are a natural part of aging, when in fact these may be signs of an underlying thyroid condition. Seniors who report symptoms to their doctors may be misdiagnosed with depression or even mild dementia. Aging, in the absence of disease, should not automatically be associated with the above symptoms. Since incidence of thyroid disease increases with age, and almost 20 percent of women over the age of sixty have form of thyroid disease, TSH testing is particularly important for this age group
- 1 out of every 5 women over the age of 65 has an increased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) blood level (indicating a failing thyroid gland).
- Between 20 and 25 percent of the elderly suffer from symptoms of mental illness (such as depression), but some of these cases may be related to an underlying thyroid disorder.
- Approximately 15 percent of all thyrotoxic (hyperthyroid) patients are over the age of sixty.
- Thyroid disorders are more likely to go undiagnosed in patients over the age of 65 than in patients 35 to 45 years of age.
- Because many elderly patients may have gone undiagnosed with thyroid failure for several years, they may be at increased risk for elevated cholesterol levels and heart disease. As a result, lipid levels should be checked in all patients with thyroid underactivity, and all patients with elevated cholesterol levels should be checked for thyroid failure.
Previous Thyroid Awareness Month Campaigns
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2007 How's Your Thyroid - Who needs to know?
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2006 A Thyroid Imbalance? Target Your Numbers
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2005 A Healthy Thyroid: You Make The Difference
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2004 Take Control of Your Health: Keep Your Thyroid in Balance
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2003 Thyroid Undercover Hiding in Plain Sight
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2002 The Necks Generation
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2001 The Necks Time is Now Think Thyroid
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2000 Take Cholesterol by the Neck
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1999 Thyroid: The Missing T in HRT
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1998 When the Blues Hit
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1997 1995 Not available on AACE Online