[Iodine supplementation in the province of Styria]

As far back as 1898 the Austrian Nobel price winner Wagner von Jauregg was the first to recommend iodination of salt as prophylaxis against endemic goitre (prevalence 48%) and cretinism (greater than 10%). In 1923 he achieved in a voluntary iodine supplementation of 5 mg KJ/kg table salt, which only lasted for a number of years. It was in 1963 when finally a mandatory iodized salt prophylaxis was introduced at the rate of 10 mg KJ/kg. In this study the effect of 25 years of iodine supplementation is investigated: Endemic cretinism, hypothyroidism, and goitre in newborns disappeared generally and endemic goitre in pupils was significantly reduced. However, due to epidemiological studies at elementary and secondary schools and army recruitment examinations we still found out endemic goitre grade I (according to WHO) mainly in female juveniles. Examinations were done by palpation, ultrasonography and urinary iodine excretion. In the above as well as in the urine of newborns and in mother's milk the iodine content was significantly lower than in iodine rich countries. Consequently a higher iodination of salt at the rate of 20 mg KJ/kg was recommended by the Austrian Society of Nuclear Medicine in 1985. This suggestion was taken up by the Austrian authorities and it will finally be instituted by law in May 1990 for the benefit of coming generations.