Thyroid function in a healthy elderly population: implications for clinical evaluation
Article Abstract:
Thyroid function is known to change as a person ages, but it is difficult to differentiate between changes caused by the aging process and those caused by age-associated disease or dysfunction. No standards have been established for determining proper thyroid function in the healthy, elderly person. This study sought to characterize thyroid function in healthy, elderly individuals and to determine the normal changes in the thyroid that occur with aging. Blood samples were collected from 216 subjects and were tested for thyroid function indices. These results were compared with those from a control group of younger, healthy subjects. Results showed that 38 (17.6 percent) of the elderly subjects had abnormal thyroid functioning, and their results were not included in the analysis. Significant differences were found in the five thyroid function tests between the healthy elderly subjects and the healthy young subjects. Thyroxine (T4), free T4, and triiodothyronine (T3) values were lower in the elderly subjects than in the younger subjects. T3 resin uptake and supersensitive thyrotropin values were higher in the elderly subjects than in the younger subjects. Antithyroid antibodies, an indicator of thyroid dysfunction, were detected in 23 percent of the elderly subjects, but in fewer than 10 percent of the younger subjects. These results indicate that hypothyroidism (abnormally reduced thyroid activity) occurs more frequently in the elderly and that thyroid function changes with aging. Thyroid function test values, although different from those found in younger subjects, fell within current reference (normal) ranges. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1991
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Cell-mediated immunity as a predictor of morbidity and mortality in subjects over 60
Article Abstract:
It may be that simple skin testing can predict illness and death in people over the age of 60 who don't have any other indication of poor health. This may be particularly true for cancer. Cell-mediated immunity (acquired immunity) decreases with age, and it is thought that this reduced immunity results in higher illness and death rates, but this assumption is hard to test. A group of 294 people who were over age 60 with no serious medical problems and no history of serious medical problems were tested over a period of nine years by using two different measures of cellular immunity yearly. One measure tested the blood levels of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, a substance in the blood); the other measure was intradermal (within the skin) testing of four common antigens (proteins that provoke the immune system to produce antibodies). People who fail to respond to such antigens are called anergic. In this study as well as others, PHA responsiveness was a predictor of some causes of morbidity and mortality, but anergy was the better predictor of all causes of death, as well as cancer mortality. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1990
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The influence of age on endocrine responses to ultraendurance stress
Article Abstract:
To test the effect of heavy exercise on age-related changes in endocrine production, endocrine response of younger (20-year-old) athletes was compared to that of older (50-74 year old) athletes who completed a triathlon. For all subjects, all but one of 13 hormones studied increased over basal levels. The highest peak levels for younger subjects were in dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate and thyroid stimulating hormone. Older subjects had larger increases in norepinephrine and sex hormone binding globulin.
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1993
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