ARE promoted: at least i children they managed to reach the quota that satisfies the daily requirement of iodine essential for the correct functioning of the thyroid. Good news also because it concerns all nine regions involved in the report conducted by the National Observatory for the monitoring of iodoprophylaxis in Italy-Osnami of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in collaboration with the Regional Observatories for the Prevention of Goiter which examined 4 thousand children for evaluate iodine intake in the Italian population. These data, presented close to the World Thyroid Week (24-30 May), are the result of the second surveillance on the iodine nutritional status of the Italian population (Istisan Report “Monitoring of Iodoprophylaxis in Italy – 2015-2019 data”).
The survey concerns 9 representative regions of the North, Center and South of the country (Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Calabria, Sicily). The determination of the urinary concentration of iodine carried out on children aged between 11 and 13 years showed the achievement of iodine insufficiency in all the regions examined, while the ultrasound evaluation of the thyroid volume in these children showed the disappearance of goiter in school age.
Longform
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“Achieving iodosufficiency certainly represents an important goal for public health – he comments Antonella Olivieri, responsible for Osnami. However, in a future perspective it constitutes only a first step in the long path still to be taken to consolidate the national iodoprophylaxis program “.
Thanks to the collaboration with the Neonatal Screening Centers for Congenital Hypothyroidism of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto-Verona and Calabria, the frequency of high neonatal Tsh values was also analyzed, which is a marker used for neonatal screening. of congenital hypothyroidism in all newborns and which is an indicator of iodine nutrition in the neonatal period and, indirectly, of pregnancy. The analysis of this indicator also showed an improvement with a reduction of the high values (6.4% in 2004; 4.9% in 2018).
The use of iodized salt
The results of this survey come 15 years after the approval of Law 55/2005 which introduced the iodoprophylaxis program in our country by regulating the sale and use of iodized salt. And it’s important to keep this in mind because the other important fact that emerges is the use of iodized salt in about 70% of the families of the children recruited, which is consistent with the study results Steps conducted by the ISS on 130,000 adult interviewees, which highlighted the use of iodized salt in 74% of the Italians interviewed.
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The reduction of salt consumption
Yet, in recent years, a reduction of about 12% of salt consumption in the population has been observed in Italy, as also demonstrated by a recent study coordinated by the ISS. How then was this success of the national iodoprophylaxis program possible? This, which seems a contradiction, is explained by the fact that the iodine concentration in the salt marketed in Italy (30 mg / kg) is, at least for the moment, sufficient to counteract the impact of this reduction.
What is iodine used for
It iodine it is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid and its deficiency causes goiter and also severe neuro-cognitive disorders. A balanced diet guarantees only 50% of the daily iodine requirement (90 μg in children up to 6 years, 120 μg in school age 7-12 years, 150 μg in adults), a requirement which, in particular conditions, increases to 250- 300 μg. In order for proper thyroid function to be ensured, the daily intake of iodine must be supplemented. The use of iodized salt allows to cover the daily requirement by providing 30 μg of iodine per gram of salt. Considering that, in order to reduce cardiovascular risk, the World Health Organization recommends a daily consumption of salt between 3 and 5 g and that iodized salt provides 30 μg of iodine per gram of salt, keeping consumption within these limits, iodized salt , added to foods, allows to reach a daily quantity of iodine equal to 90-150 μg, sufficient to guarantee an adequate iodine intake in the vast majority of the population.
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Educating young people
The iodine-sufficiency is certainly an important goal for public health also because the prevention of thyroid disorders, first of all goiter and its nodular complications, will allow to obtain a saving in social and health costs. Furthermore, an adequate iodine nutrition from the earliest stages of life can guarantee adequate neuro-cognitive development for the new born. “The objective that the country will now have to set itself will be to guarantee the sustainability of this important prevention program. This will be possible if it is possible to carry out an incisive training action on the important issue of the prevention of iodine deficiency disorders that is aimed not only at the new generations of doctors, nutritionists and dieticians, but also at primary and secondary school students. second degree, as already successfully tested with the memorandum of understanding between the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, scientific societies, patient associations and Miur in the three-year period 2016-2019 ”, concludes Olivieri.
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