[Hypothyroidism is common in the elderly. Frequent causes of hypothyroidism include autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland, previous thyroid surgery and radioiodine therapy. Symptoms may be atypical, and the level of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) must be measured as a part of the biochemical workup. Elevated serum TSH levels have to be confirmed with a repeated tests, which must be completed by measuring the serum thyroxine level too. The recommended and relevant replacement therapy for hypothyroidism is levothyroxine sodium administration. Le­vo­thyroxine sodium is orally only partially absorbed since it is affected by food, minerals, drugs and the composition of the tablet. The initial hormone replacement dose should be low if any heart disease is suspected. The main risk of levothyroxine sodium therapy is its over supplementation, the side effects of which may include anxiety, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis, and atrial fibrillation. Subclinical hypothyroidism with elevated serum TSH level but with a T4 level in its reference range may be considered as a mild form of hypothyroidism. Studies published so far did not prove the positive effect of substitution therapy for non-goitrous subclinical hypothyroidism, especially in elderly patients.]

[Hypoglycemia is a well-known, potentially life threatening, common, yet underesti­mated consequence of glucose-lowering treatment. Elderly patients have increased tendency to develop low blood sugar levels, since their detection threshold is decreasing and the counter-regulation weakens. This process is burdened by de­clining neurocognitive and somatic status of the patients. A frail elderly person is at greater risk of hypoglycemia complica­tions. Neuroglycopenic damage of the central nervous system, cerebral and myocardial ischemia, malignant heart rhythm disturbances can all have life-threatening consequences, but long-term mental and physical decline must also be considered as well. Prevention is essential, supported by careful education and prudent choice of antidiabetic drugs and insulin preparations. Use of non-hypoglycemic agents and a diet with individual amounts and compositions help to minimize the risk, avoid overtreatment, and implement efficient and safe therapy simultaneously.]

[Pain intensity is the most frequently assessed health domain in clinical studies among patients with low-back pain. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Numeric rating scale (NRS) have been the mostly used measurement tools for pain intensity. We proposed to correlate these instruments to a generic health-related quality of life measurement tool in order to show the scale with superior clinical relevance.

We used cross-sectional, convenience sampling. 120 patients with chronic low-back pain administered the 29-item Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Profile with NRS included, and the VAS scale in the National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery. We determined the correlation between PROMIS domain T-scores and VAS and NRS scores.

We performed Spearman rank correlation test to calculate the correlation coefficient. We found VAS scales measuring pain had weak to moderate correlations with all PROMIS health domains (r = 0.24–0.55). Therefore, we compared correlation of PROMIS domain scores with PROMIS pain intensity numeric rating scale and VAS scales. PROMIS domains had moderate to strong correlations with pain intensity scale (r = 0.45–0.71). PROMIS physical function short form [r = –0.65, 95% CI (–0.75) – (–0.55)] and PROMIS pain interference short form (r = 0.71, 95% CI 0.63 – 0.79) had the strongest correlation with pain intensity item.

NRS has showed greater correlation with PROMIS domain T-scores than VAS scale. This may prove that NRS has greater connection to another health domains, thus it correlated more to health-related quality of life than visual scale. We recommend NRS to use in further clinical studies conducted among patients with low-back pain.]