https://apmplmi.com/index.php/apmp/issue/feed 2025-07-21T13:54:20+00:00 Ihor Haiduchok office@apmplmi.com Open Journal Systems <p>Actual Problems of Medicine and Pharmacy is semiannual peer-reviewed journal, that publishes materials concerning up-to-date researches in the fields of medicine and pharmacy.</p> https://apmplmi.com/index.php/apmp/article/view/76 2025-07-21T13:54:20+00:00 Sergіy Pyvovar sn_p@ukr.net Alina Tsysnetska sn_p@ukr.net Andriy Fainyk sn_p@ukr.net

<p>Iodine deficiency (ID) is the most common micronutrient deficiency and is estimated to affect 1 billion people worldwide. Ukraine has perhaps the highest prevalence of ID in children and adolescents among European countries. Global efforts have been quite successful. Between 2003 and 2023, the number of people with iodine deficiency almost halved. Iodine, an element that is an important component of the thyroid hormones (TH) thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T_3). The latter are crucial for the function of the liver, kidneys, muscles, cardiovascular and central nervous systems. TH regulate the overall metabolism and play a significant role in the development of the fetal and child nervous system, organ, and tissue function. For the developing fetus, iodine deficiency is one of the biggest causes of preventable intellectual disability, so the amount of iodine intake by pregnant women and women of reproductive age is a recognised international problem. Iodine is available from several food sources, but before the introduction of table salt fortification in the 1920s, deficiencies were observed in most areas, especially in regions where topsoil was depleted. Now, in most developed countries, iodine status has not been considered an important issue since the 1940s, unlike in less developed countries. Since 1990, salt iodisation programmes have been introduced and have reduced the prevalence of ID in many populations worldwide, although 30% of the world's population is currently at risk. Recently, industrialised countries such as the US, UK and EU have seen a decline in iodine intake, which may be due to changes in dietary patterns, cooking, and agricultural practices. The decline in iodine levels among women of reproductive age in these countries is of particular concern.</p>

2025-07-21T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2025 Sergіy Pyvovar, Alina Tsysnetska, Andriy Fainyk