Screening, diagnosing, and managing hypothyroidism:
ATA/AACE guidelines recommend screening for all patients with symptoms of hypothyroidism. For patients who
are asymptomatic, recommendations vary widely. However, a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test is generally
recommended for patients ≥50–60 years old, especially women.
Guidelines also state that there is compelling evidence to support screening in patients with:
- Autoimmune disease (e.g., type 1 diabetes)
- Pernicious anemia
- Family history
- History of neck radiation
- History of thyroid surgery
- Abnormal thyroid examination
- Psychiatric disorders, including patients taking amiodarone or lithium
- Hypertension, cardiac dysrhythmia, or congestive heart failure
Hypothyroidism: algorithm for screening and diagnosis:
Signs or symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Poor memory and concentration
- Hoarseness
- Slow pulse rate
- Delayed reflex relaxation
- Cold extremities/feeling cold
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Fatigue
- Weight gain and poor appetite
- Hair loss
- Shortness of breath
- Constipation
Screening, diagnosing, and managing hyperthyroidism:
Decode your own result in 30 seconds
Enter your value and get a personal interpretation — what your number means in plain language, what to pair it with, and when to follow up.
In 2016, the ATA updated the ATA/AACE guidelines for hyperthyroidism, a form of thyrotoxicosis. Updates include
new approaches and changing paradigms for:
- Evaluating and managing Graves’ disease with antithyroid drugs (ATDs)
- Managing hyperthyroid patients planning pregnancy
- Managing calcium metabolism prior to thyroid surgery
- Re-evaluating the long-term toxicity of antithyroid drugs
The guidelines recommend screening for all patients with symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Once a diagnosis is made,
the etiology should be determined.
Hyperthyroidism: algorithm for screening and diagnosis
Signs or symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
- Nervousness or irritability
- Fatigue/muscle weakness
- Heat intolerance
- Trouble sleeping
- Hand tremors
- Irregular heartbeat
- Weight loss
- Frequent bowel movements/diarrhea
- Goiter
- Graves’ ophthalmopathy
Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and other things. Your test results may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.
The information on healthmatters.io is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.
