Raising awareness of thyroid problems on "Iodine Day"

Now, believe it or not, today is Iodine Day here in the Czech Republic, when the Czech health authorities try and raise awareness of iodine deficiency among the population, and the thyroid problems it can produce. To find out more, Pavla Horakova spoke to Professor Vaclav Zamrazil, from Prague's Institute of Endocrinology.

"Iodine is part of the thyroid hormones, and thyroid hormones are very useful and very important hormones for development and the optimal metabolic rate of all cells in the organism throughout a person's life."

And what happens if a person suffers from an iodine deficiency?

"It depends on the life period. In foetuses, it is very, very strong prolongation of development, and the development of the brain is very seriously damaged, and after birth this damage is not possible to rectify. And thereafter thyroid hormones are necessary for development of body, psychological, somatic and sexual development and during the life of an adult person for the optimal metabolic rate of the organism."

Do Czechs suffer from iodine deficiency?

"Yes, the Czech region was part of Europe which had a relatively severe iodine deficiency. And in the middle of the last century, the problem was partially solved by adding iodine to salt."

Is the amount of iodine we take in in salt and seafood enough, or should people take iodine supplements?

"In general after the improvement of the system of supplementation, five or six years ago, the supplementation of iodine in the general population is sufficient for our country. So our country is listed among those European countries in which iodine deficiency was improved."