Disease family trees: The possible roles of iodine in goitre, cretinism, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and cancers of the thyroid, nervous system and skin

doi:10.1016/0306-9877(87)90072-7

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 24, Issue 3, November 1987, Pages 249-263

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-9877(87)90072-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

Geographical distribution patterns of incidence and mortality for a wide variety of diseases display strong positive and negative correlations when analyzed statistically. It is argued that these relationships do not occur by chance, but reflect the causal role of surpluses and/or deficiencies of various bulk and trace elements. This concept is explored for one such “disease family tree”, that of iodine. Deficiencies of this essential trace element appear to be associated with many diseases, or birth defects, including goitre, cretinism, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cancer of the thyroid and nervous system. Although the evidence is weaker, iodine deficiency may also be implicated in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In contrast, too much iodine may be linked to elevated mortality from cancer of the skin and melanoma. Rat studies indicate that iodine deficiencies can cause reduced brain weight, limited myelin formation, retarded neuronal maturation, a lowering of the production of various enzymes and slowing of the rates of protein and R.N.A. synthesis. Similar processes appear to occur in many of the diseases identified above.

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Disease family trees: The possible roles of iodine in goitre, cretinism, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and cancers of the thyroid, nervous system and skin

Abstract

Journal of Chronic Diseases

Medical hypotheses

Geologic implications of Anthrax

Fluorides in water

Magnesium

Endemic goitre and cretinism at the dawn of the third millennium

Annual review of nutrition

Reducing cancer mortality; a geographical perspective

Western Geographical Series

Endemic goitre and cretinism at the dawn of the third millennium

Annual review of nutrition

Therapies for environmental element deficiencies and toxic excesses

Endemic coast goitre in Hokkaido, Japan

Acta Endocrinol.

Iodine content of plant groups as influenced by variations in rock and soil type

Thyroid cancer and thyrotoxicosis in the United States: their relation to endemic goitre

Journal of Chronic Diseases

Endemic cretinism in idjwi Island (Kivu Lake, Zaire Republic)

History of iodine prophylaxis with regard to cretinism and deaf-mutism

Endocrinological aspects of an endemic focus of cretinism

The effects of iodine prophylaxis on the incidence of endemic cretinism

A survey of the clinical and metabolic patterns of endemic cretinism

Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in US veterans: race, sex and geographical distribution

Neurology

Epidemiology of neurologic and sense organ disorders