Iodine Intake in Denmark — Influence on the Pattern of Thyroid Disease

Abstract

In Denmark a large survey of urinary iodine excretion in 6000 adolescent males from different parts of the country was performed in the sixties by Munkner (1). It demonstrated that iodine excretion was relatively low in general with an average value of 64 μg/day. Values were higher in the eastern part of the country with values in the Copenhagen area of 78 μg/24 h. In Jutland the values were lower being around 40 μg/day in many areas. Subsequently a large survey was initiated by the health authorities to evaluate the prevalence of goitre among schoolchildren all over Denmark. Since only few cases of clinical goitre were found it was concluded that iodine supplementation was unnecessary (unpublished).