engleski

Goiter prevalence and urinary iodine excretion in Croatia four years after introduction of a new law on salt iodination

Presented study was performed as a continuation of a national program for monitoring iodine prophylaxis among 218 schoolchildren in two North-West Croatian villages. Four years after introduction of a new obligatory law on salt iodination with 25 mg KI/kg of salt urinary iodine measurements and ultrasonic scanning of thyroid volume were performed. The presented thyroid volume medians in the age group of 7 - 11 years in Rude (3, 6-7 mL) were somewhat higher thaan median ranges in pupils aged 6-10 years in Bedekovčina (1, 9-4, 2 mL). Thyroid volumes measured in Rude showed that boys at the age of 9 were at the top of the upper limit of normal and girls aged 11 years were above the upper limit of normal new reference criteria. In Bedekovčina, schoolchildren of both sexes were under the upper limit of normal. Urinary iodine excretion below 10 ug/dL in Bedekovčina was determined in 19, 4% of subjects. The significant improvement in urinary iodine excretion in Rude was also detected: from 83% in 1991 and 41, 7% in 1997 to 26, 7% below 10 ug/dL in 2000. Thses results correspond to criteria recommended by the WHO. The urinary iodine excretion values obtained by this investigation determined significant positive shift and actually they are the best signs of an improved iodine intake in Croatia. Although in the past two years there were no significant changes in thyroid volume in schoolchildren near Zagreb, presented results are the best indicator to expect progressive goiter disappearance in previously endemic areas in Croatia.

goiter; salt; iodination; thyroid volume

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