If you or someone you know is being treated for hypothyroidism, the following is mandatory reading.
Page 1690 of GUIDELINES FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM of the American Thyroid Association [Thyroid 2014; 24(12): 1670-1751.] which deals with management in the elderly. The second column, especially the penultimate paragraph, supplies significant information and recommends decidedly different treatment goals for those over 70.
Note in particular that "based on current evidence it is reasonable to raise the target serum TSH to 4-6 mIU/L in persons greater than age 70-80 years." Those values are at the high end of the normal range and beyond.
It is likely that your practitioner (GP and/or endocrinologist) may not be up to date on such and that you may be receiving overtreatment which in turn can have deleterious effects on your health (including death). (If you wish to check out information on such, see: The Impact of Age in the Management of Hypothyroidism [Endocrine Practice 2016; 22(6): 708-715.])
The take-home message is simply that: If you are being treated for hypothyroidism and are over 70, your health care provider should be aware of the potential for overtreatment with hormone replacement therapy which could have serious consequences for your health and should adjust your medication (sodium levothyroxine) appropriately.
