The Scope of Heart Disease
Every 36 seconds someone in the US dies of cardiovascular-related issues, which is 1 in 4 deaths.
Iodine deficiency may cause bradycardia, which is an abnormally slow heart rate. This may cause the feeling of weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and possibly fainting.
Iodine and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
From "Is low iodine a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Americans without thyroid dysfunction? Findings from NHANES": Low urine iodine levels were associated with an increased prevalence of coronary artery disease. The correction of low iodine levels may have potential preventive implications for coronary artery disease.
Research indicates that "the occurrence of iodine deficiency in cardiovascular disease is frequent."
Studies demonstrate "an association between subclinical hyperthyroidism and development of atrial fibrillation."
Iodine Protects the Heart During an Attack
In 2018, researchers conducted studies on animal models to examine iodine's effects during cardiac events.
Key finding: Iodide administration improved the structure and function of the heart after acute myocardial infarction in animal models.
Animals receiving iodine demonstrated 45-60% improvement in function, including reduced heart damage markers, preserved heart function, reduced myocardial necrosis linked to mortality, increased blood peroxide scavenging activity, and maintained thyroid hormone levels.
Research shows that the reduced form of iodine, when delivered intravenously following temporary blood flow loss, reduces heart damage by as much as 75% in animal studies.
A Phase 2 trial demonstrated safety of high-dose iodine administration for heart attack patients, establishing groundwork for larger investigations.
Hypothyroid, Iodine, and the Elderly
Studies comparing patients with unrecognized hypothyroidism to matched controls found higher rates of intraoperative complications and heart failure in hypothyroid patients.
Research screening hospitalized elderly patients revealed that unrecognized overt hypothyroidism may be associated with significantly higher mortality in this population.
These findings suggest iodine deficiency status may influence hypothyroidism risk development in older adults.