TY - JOUR T1 - Predictors of thyroid hormone initiation in older adults: results from the cardiovascular health study. JF - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Y1 - 2011 A1 - Somwaru, Lily L A1 - Arnold, Alice M A1 - Cappola, Anne R KW - Aged KW - Aged, 80 and over KW - Body Mass Index KW - Cardiovascular Diseases KW - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug KW - Drug Administration Schedule KW - Female KW - Follow-Up Studies KW - Humans KW - Hypothyroidism KW - Incidence KW - Male KW - Prevalence KW - Prognosis KW - Retrospective Studies KW - Risk Factors KW - Sex Factors KW - Thyroid Hormones KW - Thyroxine KW - Time Factors KW - United States AB -

BACKGROUND: Despite widespread use, there are no data on initiation of thyroid hormone use in older people. We report the prevalence of thyroid hormone use and predictors of thyroid hormone initiation in a population of older men and women.

METHODS: Thyroid hormone medication data were collected annually from 1989 to 2006 in community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years and older enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study (N = 5,888). Associations of age, sex, race, body mass index, education, and coronary heart disease with initiation were evaluated using discrete-time survival analysis.

RESULTS: In 1989-1990, 8.9% (95% confidence interval 8.1%-9.7%) of participants were taking a thyroid hormone preparation, increasing to 20.0% (95% confidence interval 8.2%-21.8%) over 16 years. The average initiation rate was 1% per year. The initiation rate was nonlinear with age, and those aged 85 years and older initiated thyroid hormone more than twice as frequently as those aged 65-69 years (hazard ratio = 2.34; 95% confidence interval 1.43-3.85). White women were more likely to initiate thyroid hormone than any other race and sex group. Higher body mass index was independently associated with higher risk for initiation (p = .002) as was greater education (p = .02) and prevalent coronary heart disease (p = .03).

CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid hormone use is common in older people. The indications and benefits of thyroid hormone use in older individuals with the highest rate of thyroid hormone initiation-the oldest old, overweight and obese individuals, and those with coronary heart disease-should be investigated.

VL - 66 IS - 7 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21628677?dopt=Abstract ER -