What populations should be screened for thyroid disease?
TSH serum levels for all adults over 60+ every five years. Some would suggest starting this process at age 35 for some patients where there are symptoms and signs of thyroid disease. For patients with other autoimmune disorders such as type 1 Diabetes, collagen Vascular Diseases or a reversed-degree relative with thyroid disease. Other diseases to look at where low thyroid disease is associated with illness is vitiligo, Addison’s Disease, pernicious anemia and premature ovarian failure. Thyroid screening should be done in patients who have had history of prior radiation therapy to the neck. Thyroid screening should be done in patients with history of hypercholesterolemia otherwise known as elevated cholesterol and thyroid screen should be done in patients who have abnormal fast cardiac rhythms otherwise known as cardiac tachyarrhythmias.
