Hormone Replacement Therapy in the Geriatric Patient: Current State of the Evidence and Questions for the Future—Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, and Thyroid Hormone Augmentation in Geriatric Clinical Practice: Part 2

Hypothyroidism is a common disorder characterized by inadequate amounts of thyroid hormones available to meet the need for thyroid at the cellular level. Typical symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain/obesity, depression, cold extremities, thin/friable nails, muscle aches, headaches, decreased libido, low basal body temperature (consistently below 98.6°F), weakness, cold intolerance, loss of temporal eyebrow hair, water retention, and dry skin. The incidence of thyroid dysfunction with its attendant cellular thyroid deficiency increases significantly with age. Because many of the symptoms attributable to subclinical hypothyroidism are often seen with normal aging, significant cellular hypothyroidism often goes undetected and subsequently untreated.