THE STATE OF THE PROBLEM OF IODINE DEFICIENCY ZONES, THE VIEW OF AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST

Abstract

Prevention of iodine-deficient diseases is one of the priority areas of public health in most countries of the world. About 2 billion people live in conditions of natural iodine deficiency. It is known that the greatest danger is an insufficient intake of iodine in the body at the stage of intrauterine development and in early childhood. Changes caused by iodine deficiency during these periods of life are manifested by irreversible defects in the intellectual and physical development of children. However, the entire spectrum of iodine deficiency pathology is wide and extends from reproductive disorders to specific thyroid diseases. According to WHO, in 96 countries, the problem of iodine deficiency in the diet has already been resolved thanks to the action of legislative and regulatory acts on mandatory salt iodization. Only 13 countries that do not have such laws, including Russia, continue to live in conditions of uncompensated iodine deficiency. In this regard, the problem of iodine deficiency is extremely relevant for many countries. It is necessary to conduct mass and individual iodine prophylaxis with the use of drugs containing a physiological dose of iodine (such as, for example, Iodomarin) in high-risk groups on a legislative basis.