Levothyroxine shows no benefit in elderly patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, trial finds

Treatment with levothyroxine provides no clinical benefit in older people with subclinical hypothyroidism, a UK randomised trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown.1

Subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as an elevated serum thyrotropin level and a serum free thyroxine level within the reference range, is common in older people, affecting 8-18% of over 65s. It is more common in women than men.

Thyroid hormones have a wide …