Assessment of thyroid status in elderly people.

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Thyroid function tests are not indicated in ill patients unless there is good clinical evidence that thyroid disease is contributing to their clinical condition * Thyroid function should not be assessed in entirely fit and active elderly people * The test of choice is serum thyroid stimu- lating hormone (TSH) concentration * A normal serum TSH concentration virtually excludes hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism * Problems with interpreting thyroid function tests in elderly people usually result from nonthyroidal illness or drug treatment