ReviewInternational journal of clinical practice2015
Subclinical hypothyroidism: a historical view and shifting prevalence.
Review in International journal of clinical practice, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 102 citations in OpenAlex.
- Estimation of left ventricular functions in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Pooled it
- Subclinical hypothyroidism and depression: a meta-analysis.Translational psychiatry · 2018Pooled it
- Progression of Gestational Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Hypothyroxinemia to Overt Hypothyroidism After Pregnancy: Pooled Analysis of Data from Two Randomized Controlled Trials.Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association · 2024Trial
- The Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on Fatigue and Depression in Patients With Hypothyroidism: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Gray-zone decisions in subclinical hypothyroidism: a qualitative analysis of ChatGPT responses.BMC endocrine disorders · 2026Article
- Article
- On the way to deprescribing levothyroxine in subclinical hypothyroidism in general practice - the patients' perspective of enablers and barriers.The European journal of general practice · 2025Article
- Thyrotropin Directly Affects Cardiac Electrophysiology and Is Associated With AF Prevalence.Circulation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology · 2025Article
- Article
- Thyroid Hormone Biomonitoring: A Review on Their Metabolism and Machine-Learning Based Analysis on Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2024Review
- Sex differences in correlates of suicide attempts in Chinese Han first-episode and drug-naïve major depressive disorder with comorbid subclinical hypothyroidism: A cross-sectional study.Brain and behavior · 2024Article
- Article
- Article
- Appropriateness of Levothyroxine Prescription: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Article
- Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical hypothyroidism in older patients with major depressive disorder.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Subclinical hypothyroidism in Wales from 2000 to 2021: A descriptive cohort study based on electronic health records.PloS one · 2024Article
- Association of high BMI with subclinical hypothyroidism in young, first-episode and drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder: a large-scale cross-sectional study.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2023Article
- In infertile women with subclinical hypothyroidism, with or without thyroid peroxidase antibodies, serum TSH during pregnancy follows preconception values and thyroid hormones remain stable.Human reproduction open · 2023Article
- Arterial Stiffness and Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Subjects with Euthyroidism.Reviews in cardiovascular medicine · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsAccurate diagnosis and treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is challenging in clinical practice because of differing upper limits of normal (ULN) for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). This review summarises the various definitions of SCH and their impact on reported SCH prevalence. METHODOLOGY: Articles reporting the prevalence of SCH in relation to the ULN of TSH in human studies were identified through an English-language PubMed search for 'subclinical hypothyroidism,' 'prevalence,' and 'TSH' within the title and/or abstract. Relevant articles and related literature were selected for inclusion.
resultsEstimates for the prevalence of SCH varied by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and geographic location (range, 0.4-16.9%). Higher rates of SCH were consistently reported in women (0.9-16.9%) and older individuals (2.7-16.9%). However, the ULN of TSH in those considered free of thyroid disease and not at risk increased progressively with age, suggesting that reports of SCH prevalence in elderly people may be overestimated. Multiple studies reported an increased risk of progression to overt hypothyroidism among individuals with elevated TSH and antithyroid antibodies.
conclusionsGiven the variable definition of SCH based on an inconsistent ULN for TSH, it is currently difficult to ascertain the true prevalence of SCH and to correctly label and treat patients with SCH; use of age-adjusted definitions may be considered when assessing prevalence. A diagnosis of SCH does not necessarily merit treatment, especially if TSH elevations are transient (i.e. not persistent for > 3-6 months) and the patient lacks other risk factors for developing overt hypothyroidism.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.