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Query: UMLS:C0240066 (iron deficiency)
 7,156 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hunger and malnutrition in Africa have been on the increase since the 1960s. During the 1970s, it is estimated that 30 million people were directly affected by famine and malnutrition. About 5 million children died in 1984 alone. In Mozambique during the 1983-84 famine, about 100,000 people perished. In Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, and Angola armed conflicts compound the problem. Ethiopia alone had 9 million famine victims in 1983. The most common form of malnutrition in Africa is protein energy deficiency affecting over 100 million people, especially 30-50 million children under 5 years of age. Almost another 200 million are at risk. Iron deficiency, commonly called anemia, also affects 150 million people, mostly women and children. Iodine deficiency leads to disorders like mental retardation, cretinism, deafness, abortion, low resistance to disease, and goiter and this affects 60 million with about 150 million more at risk. Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness and low resistance to disease and affects about 10 million. Protein energy deficiency is treated by using donated foods in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, day care centers, and feeding centers. There are no community programs for anemia, or vitamin A or iodine deficiencies. Vaccines for preventing and drugs for treating diseases that cause malnutrition are imported. Therefore, African food and nutrition professionals met in 1988 and created the Africa Council for Food and Nutrition Sciences (AFRONUS) to eliminate famine and malnutrition in Africa. Activities have started in: 1) developing contacts between the workers in food and nutrition; 2) assessing the situation of food and nutrition in Africa; 3) developing an action plan; 4) implementing the plan; and 5) monitoring progress. Food and Nutrition Policy Guidelines have also been prepared by AFRONUS for food and nutrition workers. Africa has enough natural resources to solve the problem of hunger and malnutrition, but these resources have to be harnessed.
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PMID:Hunger and malnutrition: the determinant of development: the case for Africa and its food and nutrition workers. 139 7

In response to a 1954 study revealing an iodine deficiency prevalence of 41.2% in India's Kangra District (Himachal Pradesh), a salt iodization program was launched in the district in 1963. To assess the long-term impact of this ongoing program, the prevalence of goiter was investigated in 1995 in 1358 children 8-10 years of age recruited from primary schools in 4 of the district's 13 administrative blocks. The overall prevalence of goiter was 5.7% (range, 2.4-9.0%). The median urinary iodine excretion in a subsample of 245 children was 16.5 mcg/dl. 2.5% of these children had severe iodine deficiency, 4.1% had moderate deficiency, 17.1% had mild deficiency, and 76.3% had no iodine deficiency. 77% of salt samples analyzed had adequate iodine content (15 ppm and above). These findings confirm that the universal iodization of salt represents an effective means of lowering the prevalence of iron deficiency disorders.
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PMID:Status of iodine deficiency in selected blocks of Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh. 933 1

The four most important forms of malnutrition worldwide (protein-energy malnutrition, iron deficiency and anaemias (IDA), vitamin A deficiency (VAD), and iodine deficiency disorders (IDD)) are examined below in terms of their global and regional prevalences, the age and gender groups most affected, their clinical and public health consequences, and, especially, the recent progress in country and regional quantitation and control. Zinc deficiency, with its accompanying diminished host resistance and increased susceptibility to infections, is also reviewed. WHO estimates that malnutrition (underweight) was associated with over half of all child deaths in developing countries in 1995. The prevalence of stunting in developing countries is expected to decline from 36% in 1995 to 32.5% in 2000; the numbers of children affected (excluding China) are expected to decrease from 196.59 millions to 181.92 millions. Stunting affects 48% of children in South Central Asia, 48% in Eastern Africa, 38% in South Eastern Asia, and 13-24% in Latin America. IDA affects about 43% of women and 34% of men in developing countries and usually is most serious in pregnant women and children, though non-pregnant women, the elderly, and men in hookworm-endemic areas also comprise groups at risk. Clinical VAD affects at least 2.80 million preschool children in over 60 countries, and subclinical VAD is considered a problem for at least 251 millions; school-age children and pregnant women are also affected. Globally about 740 million people are affected by goitre, and over two billions are considered at risk of IDD. However, mandatory salt iodisation in the last decade in many regions has decreased dramatically the percentage of the population at risk. Two recent major advances in understanding the global importance of malnutrition are (1) the data of 53 countries that links protein-energy malnutrition (assessed by underweight) directly to increased child mortality rates, and (2) the outcome in 6 of 8 large vitamin A supplementation trials showing decreases of 20-50% in child mortality.
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PMID:Global malnutrition. 1138 91

Table salt can now be fortified with iodine and iron without interaction and without loss of potency. According to Levente Diosady, professor of Food Engineering at the University of Toronto, the amounts of the two micronutrients available to the human body have been significantly reduced when the two interacted. In the new technology, the iodine is covered with a dextrin (a water soluble starch) capsule that serves as a physical barrier to the iron. Micronutrient Initiative (an international secretariat based at IDRC that works to eliminate health problems resulting from iron, iodine, and vitamin A deficiencies) and IDRC supported the development of the technology. The efficiency of absorption of the two micronutrients in the new double fortified salt in the human body is being tested at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Later testing will be conducted by University of Ghana scientists in IDRC-funded trials that will focus on women and their families in areas of Ghana where these deficiencies are endemic. Iodine is part of thyroid hormone, which contributes to brain development in the fetus and regulates human metabolism; iodine deficiency is the most frequent cause of preventable mental retardation. Related disorders include lethargy, physical disabilities, goiter, stillbirth, and neonatal death. Iron deficiency, the most common nutritional problem in the world (particularly among women, infants, and children), is associated with anemia, fatigue, learning problems, pregnancy complications, premature births, and maternal mortality. The two deficiencies together affect more than one-third of the world's population. Approximately 1.6 billion people, in more than 100 countries, live in areas where iodine is not available in sufficient amounts; those most at risk include about one-third of China's population. It is also a severe problem in the Himalayas, the Andes, India, and West Africa.
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PMID:Micronutrient deficiencies. Reports from the field -- Africa. 1229 Mar 27

India has achieved self-sufficiency in the production of food grains, yet the production of milk, legumes, vegetables, oils and fats, eggs, and meat is far short of the needs of the population. The Indian diet predominantly comprises cereals, and the diets of expectant and nursing mothers as well as children are grossly deficient in protective foods. Serious nutritional inadequacies have resulted in low birth weight, retarded growth, and nutritional deficiencies (protein energy malnutrition in preschool children, vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency in women of reproductive age, and iodine deficiency disorders among neonates and schoolchildren). General malnutrition is prevalent in 25% of the rural and 20% of the urban population. Deficiency symptoms of vitamin B complex and vitamin C are also not uncommon. 37% of the population of India lives below the poverty limit, the literacy rate is only 52.1% (39.4% for women), safe drinking water is scarce, nutritional ignorance is rampant, there is a lack of personal hygiene, and poor sanitation all account for malnutrition. A number of government and nongovernmental organizations' programs have attempted to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of the people. Some of them include the integrated child development services, special nutritional program, national vitamin A deficiency prophylaxis program, national anemia prophylaxis program, national goiter control program, midday meal program, special class feeding programs, universal immunization program, nutritional and health education through the mass media as well as the observance of world food day and world health day. The national health policy gives high priority to the promotion of family planning, the provision of primary health care, and the acceleration of welfare programs for women and children. As a result of policies and programs of health and nutrition, the infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have declined and life expectancy at birth has risen.
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PMID:Strategies for nutritional improvement. 1234 51

A balanced diet that provides an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals is essential for normal fetal development. Maternal morbidity is also lower, since such complications of pregnancy as preeclampsia and premature birth occur less frequently. Consideration should be given to folate deficiency--in particular during the periconceptive period--and iron deficiency during pregnancy. For the structural development of the fetus, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids also appear to have a major role to play. Daily iodine supplementation should be used to avoid goiter in mother and child. Calcium appears to have a protective effect against preeclampsia and hypertension, as also do vitamins E and C. The tocolytic action of magnesium can help reduce the incidence of premature birth. Such noxae as alcohol and nicotine should be avoided completely during the entire pregnancy.
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PMID:[Nutrition during pregnancy--current aspects]. 1515 64

Despite significant progress, deficiencies of iron and iodine remain major public health problems affecting > or =30% of the global population. These deficiencies often coexist in children. Recent studies have demonstrated that a high prevalence of iron deficiency among children in areas of endemic goiter may reduce the effectiveness of iodized salt programs. These findings argue strongly for improving iron status in areas of overlapping deficiency, not only to combat anemia but also to increase the efficacy of iodine prophylaxis. The dual fortification of salt with iodine and iron may prove to be an effective and sustainable method to accomplish these important goals.
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PMID:The influence of iron status on iodine utilization and thyroid function. 1660 28

In many developing countries, women are at high risk of goiter and iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Iron deficiency adversely affects thyroid metabolism and may decrease the efficiency of thyroid hormones in areas of endemic goiter. The aim of the present study was to compare the level of iron (Fe) in biological samples (serum and urine) and serum thyroid hormones, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxin (FT4) of goitrous female patients (GFPs; n = 69) with those of nongoitrous women as control subjects (n = 117), age range 21-45 years. The biological samples were analyzed for Fe concentration using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer, prior to microwave-assisted wet acid digestion. The validity and accuracy of the method was checked by the certified sample and with those obtained by conventional wet acid digestion method on the same CRM and real samples. The overall recoveries of Fe in serum and urine were found in the range of 97.2-98.6% of certified values. The results of this study showed that the mean values of Fe in serum and urine samples of GFPs were significantly reduced as compared to control subjects (p = 0.002 and p = 0.015, respectively). The mean values of FT3 and FT4 were found to be lower in GFPs than in the age-matched healthy control women; in contrast, high mean values of TSH were detected in GFPs (p = 0.003). There was a positive correlation between serum Fe concentration and TSH (r = 0.85, p = 0.01), FT3 (r = 0.95, p = 0.003), and FT4 levels (r = 0.98, p = 0.007) in GFPs. It was observed that iron deficiency is prevalent in GFPs, so the need of Fe supplementation will be required to improve the efficacy of thyroid metabolism in goitrous women.
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PMID:Evaluation of iron in serum and urine and their relation with thyroid function in female goitrous patients. 1856 96

Four methods are recommended for assessment of iodine nutrition: urinary iodine concentration, the goitre rate, and blood concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroglobulin. These indicators are complementary, in that urinary iodine is a sensitive indicator of recent iodine intake (days) and thyroglobulin shows an intermediate response (weeks to months), whereas changes in the goitre rate reflect long-term iodine nutrition (months to years). Spot urinary iodine concentrations are highly variable from day-to-day and should not be used to classify iodine status of individuals. International reference criteria for thyroid volume in children have recently been published and can be used for identifying even small goitres using thyroid ultrasound. Recent development of a dried blood spot thyroglobulin assay makes sample collection practical even in remote areas. Thyroid stimulating hormone is a useful indicator of iodine nutrition in the newborn, but not in other age groups. For assessing iron status, haemoglobin measurement alone has low specificity and sensitivity. Serum ferritin remains the best indicator of iron stores in the absence of inflammation. Measures of iron-deficient erythropoiesis include transferrin iron saturation and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin, but these often do not distinguish anaemia due to iron deficiency from the anaemia of chronic disease. The serum transferrin receptor is useful in this setting, but the assay requires standardization. In the absence of inflammation, a sensitive method to assess iron status is to combine the use of serum ferritin as a measure of iron stores and the serum transferrin receptor as a measure of tissue iron deficiency.
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PMID:Methods to assess iron and iodine status. 1859 85

Micronutrients, mostly iodine and selenium, are required for thyroid hormone synthesis and function. Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones and its deficiency is considered as the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world. Nowadays about 800 million people are affected by iodine deficiency disorders that include goiter, hypothyroidism, mental retardation, and a wide spectrum of other growth and developmental abnormalities. Iodine supplementation, under form of iodized salt and iodized vegetable oil, produced dramatic improvements in many areas, even though iodine deficiency is still a problem not only for developing countries. In fact, certain subpopulations like vegetarians may not reach an adequate iodine intake even in countries considered iodine-sufficient. A reduction in dietary iodine content could also be related to increased adherence to dietary recommendations to reduce salt intake for preventing hypertension. Furthermore, iodine intakes are declining in many countries where, after endemic goiter eradication, the lack of monitoring of iodine nutrition can lead to a reappearance of goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders. Three different selenium-dependent iodothyronine deiodinases (types I, II, and III) can both activate and inactivate thyroid hormones, making selenium an essential micronutrient for normal development, growth, and metabolism. Furthermore, selenium is found as selenocysteine in the catalytic center of enzymes protecting the thyroid from free radicals damage. In this way, selenium deficiency can exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency and the same is true for vitamin A or iron deficiency. Substances introduced with food, such as thiocyanate and isoflavones or certain herbal preparations, can interfere with micronutrients and influence thyroid function. Aim of this paper is to review the role of micronutrients in thyroid function and diseases.
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PMID:Role of iodine, selenium and other micronutrients in thyroid function and disorders. 1959 17


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