New guidelines from the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicinesays an estimated one in 71 women over the age of 50 has unsuspected but symptomatic thyroid disease that will respond to treatment.
Guidelines issued by the organization in 1990 recommended screening for women in that age group only if they had symptoms of thyroid disease. The most common adult thyroid diseases are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Both conditions are detectable through a simple test to measures the level of TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone, in the blood.
The most common adult thyroid condition is hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone, slowing down the body's metabolism. Hypothyroidism can appear as tiredness, forgetfulness, depression, chilliness and weight gain. The symptoms often mimic those of normal aging.
Less common is hyperthyroidism, in which the thyroid produces excessive hormone, speeding up body metabolism. Hyperthyroidism affects about two million Americans, mostly women between the ages of 20 to 40. Symptoms include nervousness, weight loss, intolerance to heat and sometimes goiter -- an enlarged thyroid gland.
