CLINICAL REVIEW Management of hypothyroidism in adults

Hypothyroidism is one of the commonest chronic disorders in Western populations. In the United Kingdom, the annual incidence of primary hypothyroidism in women is 3.5 per 1000 and in men 0.6 per 1000. During 2006 12 million prescriptions for levothyroxine (50 μg or 100 μg tablets) were dispensed in England, equivalent to about 1.6 million people taking long term thyroid replacement therapy, about 3% of the population. The management of hypothyroidism is generally considered straightforward and is mostly carried out in primary care in the UK. Cross sectional surveys of patients taking levothyroxine have, however, shown that between 40% and 48% are either over-treated or under-treated. 4 Furthermore, a small but significant proportion of patients continue to feel unwell despite taking levothyroxine. This review discusses current approaches in the management of hypothyroidism in adults.