Prevalence of hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus in elderly kibbutz members

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus (DM) in elderly (aged 65-92 years) kibbutz members in No rthern Israel. Method: The medical records of 1096 elderly (642 females and 454 males) residing in 11 kibbutzim were reviewed for data regarding thyro id function tests (TSH and FT4) and fasting blood glucose. Fasting blood gl ucose levels above 7.8 mmol/l was considered diagnostic for diabetes mellit us. Results: The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 14% (9.7% in males and 18 .2% in females) and that of DM was 11.5% (12.1% in males and 11.1% in femal es). In 74% of the diabetics the diagnosis was made after the age of 60 yea rs. Distribution of treatment modalities in diabetics was as follows: diet only 42%, oral hypoglycemic agents 52% and Insulin 6%. Subclinical hypothyr oidism (serum TSH levels above 4.5 mU/L with normal FT4 levels) was detecte d in 38% of all the hypothyroid subjects. Conclusion: The data suggest that diabetes mellitus and primary hypothyroidism are common disorders in elder ly subjects. DM in the elderly can usually be handled with diet and oral hy poglycemic drugs. Since the clinical features of hypothyroidism in the elde rly are often atypical, we suggest that elderly subjects should be screened for hypothyroidism.