Abstract

Thyroid disease can be difficult to diagnose in the elderly; symptoms may develop insidiously and present a typically.¹ Both hypo- and hyperthyroidism can present with depression and apathy, which are common in old age itself. Both can cause cardiovascular and psychiatric disease.² Close to 1% of elderly people in the general population are hypothyroid on biochemical testing; about 0.5% are hyperthyroid.³ The prevalences in hospitalised patients are double.²