Background ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure (HF) recommend investigating exacerbating conditions, such as thyroid dysfunction, but without specifying impact of different TSH levels. Limited prospective data exist regarding the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and HF events. Methods and Results We performed a pooled analysis of individual participant data using all available prospective cohorts with thyroid function tests and subsequent follow-up of HF events. Individual data on 25,390 participants with 216,248 person-years of follow-up were supplied from 6 prospective cohorts in the United States and Europe. Euthyroidism was defined as TSH 0.45–4.49 mIU/L, subclinical hypothyroidism as TSH 4.5–19.9 mIU/L and subclinical hyperthyroidism as TSH <0.45 mIU/L, both with normal free thyroxine levels. Among 25,390 participants, 2068 had subclinical hypothyroidism (8.1%) and 648 subclinical hyperthyroidism (2.6%). In age- and gender-adjusted analyses, risks of HF events were increased with both higher and lower TSH levels (P for quadratic pattern <0.01): hazard ratio (HR) was 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81–1.26) for TSH 4.5–6.9 mIU/L, 1.65 (CI 0.84–3.23) for TSH 7.0–9.9 mIU/L, 1.86 (CI 1.27–2.72) for TSH 10.0–19.9 mIUL/L (P for trend <0.01), and was 1.31 (CI 0.88–1.95) for TSH 0.10–0.44 mIU/L and 1.94 (CI 1.01–3.72) for TSH <0.10 mIU/L (P for trend = 0.047). Risks remained similar after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Risks of HF events were increased with both higher and lower TSH levels, particularly for TSH ≥10 mIU/L and for TSH <0.10 mIU/L.

The association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular outcomes has been recently clarified with the publication of three individual participant data (IPD) analyses from the Thyroid Studies Collaboration. We identified original cohort studies with a systematic review and pooled individual data from over 70'000 participants to obtain a more precise estimate of the risks of cardiovascular outcomes associated with subclinical thyroid dysfunction. Subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism, defined as normal thyroxine (FT4) levels with increased or decreased Thyroid-Stimulating Hormones (TSH or thyrotropin) respectively, are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes compared to euthyroid state, particularly in those with a more pronounced thyroid dysfunction. Specifically, subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events, CHD mortality and heart failure (HF) events in individuals with higher TSH levels, particularly in those with TSH levels ≥10.0 mIU/L. Conversely, subclinical hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of total mortality, CHD mortality, HF and atrial fibrillation, particularly in those with suppressed TSH levels <0.10 mIU/L. Pending ongoing randomized controlled trials, these observational findings allow identifying potential TSH thresholds for thyroid medication initiation based on risk of clinical outcomes, although clinical decision based solely on observational data need caution. The impact of thyroid replacement among the elderly with subclinical hypothyroidism is currently studied in a multicenter international randomized controlled trial (Thyroid Hormone Replacement for Subclinical Hypothyroidism Trial, TRUST trial).

Among community-dwelling older men, subclinical hyperthyroidism, but not subclinical hypothyroidism, is associated with increased odds of prevalent but not incident frailty.

Check-up examinations, or periodic health examinations (PHEs), have gained in importance during the last decades and are nowadays among the most common reasons for consultations in primary care settings. The aim of PHEs is to identify risk factors and early signs of disease, but also to prevent future illness by early intervention. Therefore, each PHE should include counselling, immunisation and physical examination according to the patient's age and gender. However, deciding whether to screen a patient and choosing the most appropriate screening method can be challenging for general practitioners. The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) provides updated recommendations on different existing preventive care measures based on relevant literature review. The aim of this review is to provide an updated statement of recommendations regarding preventive care measures based mostly on the guidelines derived from the USPSTF and the Swiss Medical Board. Among the major updates, there is no recommendation anymore to routinely screen for breast cancer and prostate cancer in asymptomatic adults. Since 2013, however, the USPSTF recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT in patients aged 55 to 80 years with a smoking history of ≥30 pack years. During PHEs, the physician should be alert to the patients' hidden agendas, which are the reason for one third of all consultations in primary care.

, 10 on behalf of the PROSPER Study Group Background: Subclinical thyroid dysfunction is common among older people and has been associated with decreased functional capacity but with conflicting data. The aim of this study was to assess the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and functional capacity in an elderly population. Methods: We included 5182 participants with a mean age of 75.2 years from the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER). Self-reported functional capacity was assessed using the Barthel Index (BI) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scores at baseline and during follow-up. Participants with subclinical hyperthyroidism (n = 65) and subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 173) were compared to euthyroid participants (n = 4944). The association between persistent subclinical thyroid dysfunction and functional capacity and decline was also investigated. Results: At baseline, compared to euthyroid participants (BI 19.73 -SE 0.06; IADL 13.52 -0.02), there was no difference in functional capacity for participants with subclinical hyperthyroidism (BI 19.60 -0.09; IADL 13.51 -0.12, p > 0.05) or subclinical hypothyroidism (BI 19.82 -0.06; IADL 13.55 -0.08, p > 0.05). Over a mean 3.2-year follow-up period, there was no association between thyroid function and annual decline of either BI or IADL ( p > 0.05). No association was found between persistent subclinical thyroid dysfunction and functional capacity at baseline or during follow-up ( p > 0.05). Results were similar after excluding participants with a maximum BI and/or IADL score at baseline. Conclusion: Among well-functioning community-dwelling elderly, we found no evidence that subclinical thyroid dysfunction contributes to decreased functional capacity.