OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and frailty syndrome in elderly patients.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

A case-control study was carried out from January 2016 to June 2017 in older adults with frailty syndrome (cases) and without frailty syndrome (controls). The diagnosis of frailty syndrome was made according to the Fried criteria. The serum levels of TSH and free-T4 were compared in robust, pre-frailty and frailty patients. Also, the odds ratio (OR) for frailty was determined in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism.

RESULTS:

The mean age of the cases (n = 100) and controls (n = 104) was 83.2 and 78.1 years, respectively (p ≤ 0.01). The TSH levels in fragile and robust were 3.1 and 2.7 ng/ mL (p = 0.594) and the serum levels of free T4 were 1.26 and 1.32 ng/dL, respectively (p = 0.315). The OR for fragility in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism was 1.21 (CI95% 0.39-3.80, p = 0.740) and in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism it was of 0.74 (CI95% 0.14-3.75, p = 0.714).

CONCLUSIONS:

There are no significant differences in serum levels of TSH or free T4 between fragile and robust patients. Subclinical hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were not associated with an increased risk of frailty syndrome.