Basic Elements for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Hypothyroidism in the Adult Patient

Abstract

Introduction: Primary hypothyroidism is often diagnosed lately and not always are the indicated doses of levothyroxine the most convenient. It is urgent to draw attention towards these aspects and to update knowledge on this subject.

Objective: To describe the basic elements for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of primary hypothyroidism in adult patients at the first level of care.

Methods: A search for relevant literature on the subject was carried out. Pubmed and Google Scholar were used as search engines for retrieving scientific information. The search strategy included the following terms as keywords: hipotiroidismo primario [primary hypothyroidism], hipotiroidismo subclínico [subclinical hypothyroidism], diagnóstico y tratamiento [diagnosis and treatment]. Generally speaking, articles within ten years of having been published were assessed, written in Spanish and English and making a specific reference to the subject of the study in their respective titles. Articles not meeting these conditions were excluded. This allowed for 72 articles be referenced.

Conclusions: To make the diagnosis of primary hypothyroidism, it is essential to know the risk factors and the corresponding clinical picture. Serum thyrotropin elevation is the best diagnostic test and almost always indicates the presence of primary hypothyroidism. The patient's age, the time of evolution of the disease, the intensity of the hypothyroidism, the physiologic time and the presence of associated diseases should be taken into account at the beginning of treatment. All patients with overt primary hypothyroidism should be treated with levothyroxine sodium, but those with subclinical hypothyroidism do not always benefit from this treatment.