In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoantibodies act against the body's own tissues and slowly destroy the thyroid gland. Women over the age of 65 are at particularly high risk of hypothyroidism. In some studies ten percent of the women in this age group have been found to be hypothyroid. Routine thyroid tests are recommended for higher-risk populations, such as women over the age of 60.
Recommendations can vary among health professionals.
The American College of Physicians recommends office-based screening in women older than 50 to detect thyroid dysfunction. Newborns in the U.S. are routinely screened for hypothyroidism to avoid retarded growth and abnormal mental development. Click here for tips on taking levothyroxine. A physician needs to take a cautious approach in replacing thyroid hormone in someone with CAD, perhaps undertreating the hypothyroidism until the CAD can be treated or corrected by surgery. A person whose hypothyroidism goes undiagnosed or who stops taking T4 for several months may develop a fairly rare condition called myxedema coma.