Inés Velasco, Teresa Arrobas, Elena Marina, Federico Soriguer and Jose Luis Gómez-Ariza
Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia. Hospital de Riotinto, Huelva, Spain

Series: Endocrinology Research and Clinical Developments
BISAC: MED027000

Iodine and selenium are two trace elements essentials to human life due to their implication in normal thyroid function. Iodine is required by thyroid gland to synthesize thyroxine (T4, tetraiodothyroxine) and triiodothyronine (T3). Iodine deficiency is still a worldwide Public Health problem, with over 1,200 millions of habitans exposed to risk because that daily iodine intake does not reach optimal levels. Although both isolated deficiency of iodine and selenium can cause diseases themselves, combined deficiency of these micronutrients promotes the cell damage, fibrotic degeneration and complete atrophy of thyroid gland typical of the myxedematous cretinism, where iodine supplementation alone cannot restore thyroid function. Clinical implications of deficiency and supplementation of these two micronutrients should be clarified in order to develop preventive strategies and dietary recommendations to population. (Imprint: Nova)