Free thyroxine but not TSH levels are associated with decline in functional status in a cohort of geriatric outpatients.

Purpose: To assess the associations between TSH and free thyroxine (FT4) levels and decline in functional status in euthyroid older patients at risk of frailty.

Design: Longitudinal prospective study.

Methods: Participants from the geriatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital, who fulfilled the criteria for frailty or were at risk of frailty, were recruited.

Does low-normal serum TSH level adversely impact cognition in elderly adults and might methimazole therapy improve outcomes?

Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels increase with age. This elevation has been associated with better outcomes in very elderly subjects; however, little is known about the relationship between TSH below the lower limit of the reference range and health-related outcomes. Here, we investigated the association between cognitive impairment or depressive symptoms and low-normal serum TSH (<1.

Are neuropsychological changes relevant in subclinical hypothyroidism?

Introduction: Neuropsychological changes are still controversial in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). The objective of this study is to assess these changes.

Method: Cross-sectional study comparing the results of the neurocognitive evaluation of 65 SH patients and 31 individuals without thyroid disease.

Subclinical hypothyroidism: psychiatric disorders and symptoms.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and symptoms in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Method: Ninety-four outpatients with at least two elevated serum thyrotrophin levels (> 4 microU/ml) and normal FT4, and 43 euthyroid outpatients, both groups from HUCFF-UFRJ, were evaluated. Psychiatric diagnosis was based on the Structured Clinical Interview Diagnostic for the DSM-IV axis I (SCID-I/DSM-IV), the psychopathological symptoms on Hamilton anxiety and depression scales, and the Beck Inventory.