The association between iodine intake and thyroid disease in iodine-replete regions: the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

Abstract

Background/objectives: The Korean population traditionally consumes more iodine-rich seaweeds than Western populations due to dietary culture and geographical location. However, the association between excessive iodine intake and thyroid disease remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between iodine intake and thyroid disease using the largest-scale Korean cohort data.

Subjects/methods: This study utilized data from 190,524 participants in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Iodine intakes were assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Iodine intake was classified into quintiles, and the association between iodine intake and the prevalence of thyroid disease was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results: Of the 190,524 participants, 8,387 (4.40%) were diagnosed with thyroid diseases by a physician. In the total population, higher iodine intake was not associated with an increased risk of thyroid disease after adjusting for confounding variables. Additionally, the odds ratio for the highest iodine intake group compared to the lowest iodine intake group was 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-1.11; P for trend = 0.7434) in men and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.85-1.00; P for trend = 0.2286) in women.

Conclusion: Excessive iodine consumption was not associated with thyroid disease in Korean adults. Further longitudinal studies are required to assess the long-term effects of iodine intake on thyroid disease.