Are mainly the younger hypothyroid patients referred to hospital -- evidence for referral bias?
Hypothyroid patients referred to a specialized hospital unit were younger and marginally more hypothyroid than nonreferred patients. Thus, referral bias should always be considered in hospital-based studies of hypothyroid patients.
We conclude that a causative gene for FIHP lies within this interval on chromosome 2. This is a major step towards eventual precise identification of a gene for FIHP, likely to be a key component in the genetic regulation of calcium homeostasis.