2017•BMJRequires access
Levothyroxine shows no benefit in elderly patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, trial finds
Susan Mayor
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Abstract
Treatment with levothyroxine provides no clinical benefit in older people with subclinical hypothyroidism, a UK randomised trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown.1
Subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as an elevated serum thyrotropin level and a serum free thyroxine level within the reference range, is common in older people, affecting 8-18% of over 65s. It is more common in women than men.
Thyroid hormones have a wide …