Goiter A low amount of thyroxine (one of the two thyroid hormones) in the blood, due to lack of dietary<unk>  to make it, gives rise to high levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which stimulates the thyroid gland to increase many biochemical processes; the cellular growth and proliferation can result in the characteristic swelling or hyperplasia of the thyroid gland, or goiter. In mild<unk> , levels of triiodothyronine (T3) may be elevated in the presence of low levels of levothyroxine, as the body converts more of the levothyroxine to triiodothyronine as a compensation. Some such patients may have a goiter, without an elevated TSH. The introduction of<unk> d salt since the early 1900s has eliminated this condition in many affluent countries; however, in Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries,<unk>  is a significant public health problem. It is more common in developing countries. Public health initiatives to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease have resulted in lower discretionary salt use at the table. Additionally, there is a trend towards consuming more processed foods in western countries. The noniodized salt used in these foods means that people are less likely to obtain<unk>  from adding salt during cooking. Goiter is said to be endemic when the prevalence in a population is > 5%, and in most cases goiter can be treated with<unk>  supplementation. If goiter is untreated for around five years, however,<unk>  supplementation or thyroxine treatment may not reduce the size of the thyroid gland because the thyroid is permanently damaged. Congenital<unk>  syndrome Congenital<unk>  syndrome, previously known as cretinism, is a condition associated with<unk>  and goiter, commonly characterised by mental deficiency, deafness, squint, disorders of stance and gait and stunted growth due to hypothyroidism. Paracelsus was the first to point out the relation between goitrous parents and their mentally disabled children. As a result of restricted diet, isolation, intermarriage, etc., as well as low<unk>  content in their food, children often had peculiar stunted bodies and retarded mental faculties, a condition later known to be associated with thyroid hormone deficiency. Diderot, in his 1754 Encyclopédie, described these patients as "crétins". In French, the term "crétin des Alpes" also became current, since the condition was observed in remote valleys of the Alps in particular. The word cretin appeared in English in 1779. While reporting recent progress towards overcoming<unk>  disorders worldwide, The Lancet noted: "According to World Health Organization, in 2007, nearly 2 billion individuals had insufficient<unk>  intake, a third being of school age." A conclusion was made that the single most preventable cause of intellectual disability is that of<unk> . Fibrocystic breast changes There is preliminary evidence that<unk>  enhances the sensitivity of breast tissue to estrogen. In rats treated with estradiol,<unk>  has been shown to lead to changes similar to benign breast changes that are reversible by increased<unk>  in the diet. In a few studies,<unk>  supplementation had beneficial effects (such as reducing the presence of breast cyst, fibrous tissue plaques and breast pain) in women with fibrocystic breast changes. Protective effects of<unk>  on breast cancer have been postulated from epidemiologic evidence and described in animal models. In view of the antiproliferative properties of<unk>  in breast tissue, molecular<unk>  supplementation has been suggested as an adjuvant in breast cancer therapy.
Iodine deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency
Thyroid dyshormonogenesis
Isolated growth hormone deficiency
Congenital hypothyroidism
Constitutional growth delay
Adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency
Congenital iodine deficiency syndrome