About three quarters of patients admitted in our geriatric unit exhibited alterations in thyroid function tests. This finding was associated with elevated age and poor prognosis. The reduction of FT3 values was a powerful predictor for mortality during hospitalization in elderly patients.

No abstract

Our results show that about half of patients admitted for acute illness have hypogonadism, mainly of non-hypergonadotropic type. Gonadal hypofunction is significantly related with in-hospital mortality. A low value of serum testosterone may be a predictor for mortality in elderly male patients.

Alterations in TFT results during hospitalization are associated with long-term mortality in elderly patients. In particular, low FT₃ levels are significantly related to all-cause and CV mortality.

In non-diabetic elderly patients admitted for acute disease, serum glucose concentration is an important, simple and independent predictor of hospital mortality.