Free Thyroxine Distinguishes Subclinical Hypothyroidism From Other Aging-Related Changes in Those With Isolated Elevated Thyrotropin

Background: Although a finding of isolated elevated thyrotropin (TSH) often leads to treatment with thyroid hormone, it is not specific to a diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism, particularly in older adults. We have previously used longitudinal assessment of TSH and free thyroxine (FT4) to distinguish primary and secondary changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, an approach which is impractical for clinical diagnosis.

Objective: Identify contemporaneous clinical tests and criteria that predict the longitudinally-derived HPT axis phenotype in those with isolated elevated TSH.

Methods: Using data from Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, participants with over three years of follow up not on thyroid hormone replacement, with a TSH above the reference range and an in-range FT4 at the current visit, and at least 1% per year increase in TSH (mean 6.9% annual increase; n=72), we examined correlations between various clinical factors and the change in FT4 across the phenotypic range from emerging hypothyroidism, with falling FT4, to adaptive stress-response, with rising FT4.

Results: Current FT4 level, but not TSH, Free T3, anti-TPO antibody status, age or sex, was significantly associated with phenotype, determined by the annual rate of change in FT4 in those with elevated and rising TSH, both as a continuous variable (β=0.07 per ng/dL increase in FT4; p<0.001) and in quartiles (p<0.001). We estimated a threshold for FT4 of less than 0.89 ng/dL (11.45 pmol/L; the 24^th percentile of the reference range), as predictive of a phenotype in the first quartile, consistent with subclinical hypothyroidism, while a FT3:FT4 ratio below 2.77 predicted a phenotype in the fourth quartile, more consistent with adaptive stress-response.

Conclusions: In those with isolated elevated TSH, a FT4 in the lowest quartile of the reference range differentiates those with developing hypothyroidism from other HPT-axis aging changes.