Diagnosing and managing thyroid disease in the nursing home.

Thyroid disorders occur at any age, but hypothyroidism is more common in older than in younger adults. In fact, the prevalence of thyroid disorders increases with age, and it is higher in old-old frail residents in nursing homes. Since thyroid diseases in older age, both overt reduced and increased function, may manifest as disorders of other organs, physicians need a high index of suspicion to detect thyroid dysfunction in an older person with multiple comorbidities and chronic polypharmacy.