A prospective study into thyroid disease in a geriatric unit.

A prospective study of thyroid disease in 229 consecutive admissions to a geriatric rehabilitation ward are described. The overall prevalence of thyroid disease in this study was 6.98 percent. It was noted that clinical assessment and thyroid function in the elderly in this study were poorly correlated. The routine use of thyroid function tests in elderly people to detect cases of untreated and undetected thyroid disease is recommended.