[ RadSafe ] 14000 deaths

Tue Dec 20 17:12:53 CST 2011

John,

    Unfortunately most of the articles I want to use to answer your question 
require password access, which I don't have.  Therefore I can't quote the entire 
articles, only the abstract.  The following abstracts provides some insight into 
the issue.  It's isn't an entirely straight forward issue.  Too little or too 
much iodine can casue problems!  

 Roy Herren 
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/87/2/486.full
Guarding our Nation’s Thyroid Health
Iodine supplementation
We want people to get the right amount of iodine. Too little is worse than too 
much, but both deficiency and excess are avoidable. Because pregnancy is the 
most vulnerable period, I favor additional iodine, usually 150 μg per day, 
throughout pregnancy and lactation. Many antenatal vitamin/mineral preparations 
already include this supplement, and it should ensure adequate iodine for the 
fetus. The woman who is already receiving enough iodine should have no ill 
effects from this small addition, and the total intake will normally be well 
below the tolerable upper limit of 1100 μg per day as set by the Food and 
Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine (24). 

 http://www.uptodate.com/contents/iodine-in-the-treatment-of-hyperthyroidism
Iodine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism 
INTRODUCTION
Iodine solutions, such as saturated potassium iodide solutions (SSKI) or 
potassium iodide-iodine (Lugol's solution), replaced burnt sponge extract in the 
19th century as treatment for endemic goiter. By extension, they were sometimes 
used to treat Graves’ disease, but by the end of the century they were 
considered to be a dangerous form of therapy. They returned to favor in the 
1920s as preoperative treatment for hyperthyroidism and were for a time in the 
1930s thought to be useful as the sole therapy for mild hyperthyroidism. Today, 
iodine continues to have a minor role in the treatment of hyperthyroidism.
The role of iodine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism will be reviewed here. 
The treatment of hyperthyroidism in general is reviewed in detail elsewhere. 
(See "Treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism" and "Beta blockers in the treatment 
of hyperthyroidism" and "Thionamides in the treatment of Graves' disease" and 
"Radioiodine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism".)
MECHANISM OF ACTION
Iodine has several effects on thyroid function. In hyperthyroid patients, iodine 
acutely inhibits hormonal secretion within hours [1], but the responsible 
mechanisms are uncertain. This is the most acute effect of iodine on thyroid 
status, occurring within one to two days of the start of therapy.
A second effect involves inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis. In normal 
subjects, the administration of pharmacologic amounts of iodine leads to 
temporary inhibition of iodine organification in the thyroid gland, thereby 
diminishing thyroid hormone biosynthesis, a phenomenon called the Wolff-Chaikoff 
effect [2]. However, within two to four weeks of continued exposure to excess 
iodine, organification and thyroid hormone biosynthesis resume in a normal 
fashion. This is called escape from the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. (See 
"Iodine-induced thyroid dysfunction" and "Thyroid hormone synthesis and 
physiology".)
In patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, there is abnormal autoregulation of 
iodine economy. Iodine-induced blockade of iodine organification persists and 
can result in or exacerbate hypothyroidism in patients with Hashimoto's 
thyroiditis, or ameliorate hyperthyroidism in Graves’ disease. Thus, patients 
with Graves’ hyperthyroidism are more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of 
pharmacologic doses of iodine than normal subjects, making iodine treatment 
effective in some patients. In addition, pharmacologic amounts of iodine may 
acutely ameliorate hyperthyroidism by blocking thyroid hormone release.     

________________________________
From: John R Johnson <idias at interchange.ubc.ca>
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList 
<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Tue, December 20, 2011 2:36:30 PM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] 14000 deaths

Sandy and Patricia

It is my understanding that we (and  mammals) all need iodine to live. Books 
have been written about this!

Our thyroid is the reservoir that stores it and it has a limited capacity. If we 
what to decrease the amount of radioactive iodine that is "taken up" we give 
large amount stable iodine before the exposure because the thyroid will then be 
"full" and can not take in any more.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and all radsafers.

Sandy. Can you give a reference for "individuals who are allergic to iodine"?

John Johnson
Vancouver BBC.

-----Original Message----- From: Brennan, Mike (DOH)
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 12:01 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] 14000 deaths

Unless one applies a "population dose" model for iodine exposure.  In this 
model, you would take the amount of iodine consumed by the entire population, 
including people who through induced but misguided panic consumed large 
quantities of KI (often purchased online at enormously inflated prices).  Then 
divide by the number of people, and assume that everyone received the same 
amount, even though that clearly wasn't the case. Then, to be "conservative" 
(which in this case has an undefined meaning, but is used to imply "better"), 
one can assume that more people are allergic to iodine than the statistics would 
support, that their reactions are both more sever and less well characterized 
than is normally believed (indeed, mimicking conditions that are usually 
attributed to other things, and were pre-existing), and that there is a 
conspiracy to hide all this.

Or you could just make it up.  Whatever.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu 
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Perle, Sandy
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 11:40 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] 14000 deaths

Patricia,

While there are individuals who are allergic to iodine, I would not expect that 
KI pills have anything to do with the asinine conclusions reported about 14,000 
deaths. Perhaps this was addressed but I don't recall any discussion that states 
a significant amount of KI pills were distributed to the population. Unless the 
pills were distributed within a specific amount of hours prior to the intake of 
I-131, the thyroid would have been not been protected by the KI, and of course 
the individuals who are allergic would not have been as affected.

Regards,

Sandy

-----------------------------------
Sander C. Perle
President
Mirion Technologies
Dosimetry Services Division
2652 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614

+1 (949) 296-2306 (Office)
+1 (949) 296-1130 (Fax)

Mirion Technologies: http://www.mirion.com/
"Protecting people, property and the environment"

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu 
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of patricia lewis
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 11:18 AM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] 14000 deaths

any chance there were deaths or complications from taking iodine tablets or 
other preventative measures?

--
Patricia Lewis
Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine
Mine Motel
PO Box 67
Boulder MT 59632
406 225-3383 (ofc)
888 890-5860 (ofc toll free)
Opt In Newsletter:  http://tinyletter.com/RadonMine
Website:  http ://www.radonmine.com <http://www.radonmine.com/>
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