Research paper
Iodised salt for preventing iodine deficiency disorders.
Study answer
What this study found
Iodised salt improved iodine status and was an effective preventive strategy for iodine deficiency disorders. The clearest reported benefit was on biochemical iodine status, including urinary iodine excretion, while evidence was insufficient to determine effects on physical or mental development or mortality. Adverse effects were not clearly shown, but safety data were limited. High-quality long-term trials are still needed to define optimal dosing and the best supplementation strategy across populations.
- Study & population
- Systematic review of trials in iodine-deficient populations, including children, adults, women of childbearing age, and pregnant women.
- Intervention
- The review evaluated iodised salt for prevention of iodine deficiency disorders, compared with placebo or other iodine supplementation strategies.
- Key limitation
- Evidence was limited by heterogeneous salt formulations and iodine doses, varied populations and settings, and a mix of small trials with one very large study.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND Iodine deficiency is the main cause for potentially preventable mental retardation in childhood, as well as causing goitre and hypothyroidism in people of all ages. It is still prevalent in large parts of the world. OBJECTIVES To assess th…