Cortisol and thyroid autoimmunity in the elderly

A recent study by Terzidis et al. has investigated whether glucocorticoid activity, which increases in old age, is involved in thyroid autoimmunity in the elderly. Previous studies have shown that thyroid antibodies (ThAb) increase with old age, while some have demonstrated a subsequent decline in ThAb in very old age.

The study conducted thyroid function, cortisol, glucose and insulin measurements in 321 ambulatory individuals aged 51–95 years. Increased glucocorticoid levels were found to be associated with higher ThAb positivity in older subjects. Healthy subjects with no ThAb detected were older and female, indicating a difference in results between males and females. The authors suggest that there is a rise in ThAb in females until approximately 10 years after the menopause, when there is a gradual decline back to the levels that would be expected at a younger age. The study concludes that more research is needed to define the role of glucocorticoids in this pattern of ThAb levels in the elderly. Terzidis, K et al., European Journal of Endocrinology. DOI: 10.1530/EJE-09-0534