The Study
Structural and morphologic characteristics of nodular goiter in chronic iodine deficiency status
This study tells us how common thyroid nodules are in some parts of Russia where people don’t get enough iodine. It describes what the nodules look like on scans and tests, but it can’t prove that low iodine caused them.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how many adults in parts of Russia with low iodine have lumps in their thyroid gland, and whether those lumps are dangerous.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 528 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Most thyroid lumps in these areas are not cancerous, but very common due to low iodine in the diet.
- 2In one region, 64.5% of adults had thyroid lumps; in another, 40.6%.
- 3Out of the lumps tested, 97% were harmless, and only 3% had some suspicious cells.
- 4Also, 20.8% had a swollen thyroid without lumps.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Clinical and experimental thyroidology
Year
2023
Authors
E. Troshina, N. Makolina, E. A. Kolpakova, P. Nikiforovich, M. P. Isaeva, F. Abdulkhabirova, N. Platonova
Related Content
Claims (4)
Not getting enough iodine might cause abnormal cell growth in important glands and organs like the thyroid, breasts, uterus, and prostate.
In some parts of Russia where people don’t get enough iodine, lots of adults have lumpy thyroid glands, and most of those lumps are harmless. In two areas, Chechnya and Tula, over half and nearly half of adults had these lumps when checked with scans and tests.
In parts of Russia where people don’t get enough iodine, about 1 in 5 adults has a swollen thyroid gland, based on ultrasound checks done in large health surveys.
Most thyroid lumps in adults from iodine-poor areas of Russia are harmless, and only a tiny fraction look suspicious for cancer under the microscope.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.