Despite the high risk of bias of many of the included studies , the results suggested that urinary iodine , thyroglobin , serum thyroxine , and thyroid-stimulating hormone are useful biomarkers of iodine status , at least in some groups .
BACKGROUND Biomarkers of iodine status are required to study iodine deficiency disorders in different parts of the world and to evaluate the effects of fortification strategies .
OBJECTIVE The objective was to assess the usefulness of biomarkers of iodine status in humans by systematic ally review ing intervention studies that altered iodine status .
Intermittent oral administration of potassium iodide solution for the correction of iodine deficiency.
Iodized salt and iodized oil are the main methods used to prevent iodine deficiency , but sometimes alternative approaches are needed . We tested the efficacy of various regimens for the intermittent administration of potassium iodide in Hwedza , Zimbabwe , an area of known severe iodine deficiency . We divided 304 schoolchildren aged 7 - 13 y into five equal groups that received iodine as a 10 % solution of potassium iodide as follows : 8.7 mg every 2 wk ( group A ) , 29.7 mg every month ( group B ) , 148.2 mg every 3 mo ( group C ) , 382 mg every 6 mo ( group D ) , or 993 mg once ( group E ) . The follow-up period was 13 mo . No adverse effects were encountered with any of these doses . After 6 mo , the median blood spot thyroglobulin concentration had decreased in all groups and had normalized in groups A and B to values found in iodine-sufficient population s. The number of children with elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations decreased in groups A-C , but the changes were not significant . Urine iodine concentration generally remained low in all groups but increased in group A. After 13 mo , mean thyroid volume measured by ultrasound had decreased in groups A and B to values comparable with those in iodine-sufficient areas , and was unchanged in the other groups . We conclude that oral potassium iodide is effective for the prophylaxis of iodine deficiency if given as a dose of 30 mg I monthly or 8 mg biweekly
Despite the high risk of bias of many of the included studies , the results suggested that urinary iodine , thyroglobin , serum thyroxine , and thyroid-stimulating hormone are useful biomarkers of iodine status , at least in some groups .
BACKGROUND Biomarkers of iodine status are required to study iodine deficiency disorders in different parts of the world and to evaluate the effects of fortification strategies .
OBJECTIVE The objective was to assess the usefulness of biomarkers of iodine status in humans by systematic ally review ing intervention studies that altered iodine status .