Iodine status in patients with diabetes mellitus Type 1 and Type 2

Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a serious endocrinological disease. Its influence is unfavorable on the function of other endocrinological glands in the organism, such as gl. thyroidea. There are a few studies on thyroid function and urinary iodine excretion in DM patients and their results are contradictory. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the iodine nutrition in patients with DM Type 1 and Type 2. Material and method: Objects of study were 24 patients with diabetes Type 1 (11 men and 13 women) aged between 23 and 73 years, and 26 patients with diabetes Type 2 (12 men and 14 women), aged between 42 - 74 years. Urinary iodine concentration was determined in morning urine by the Sandel-Kolthhoff reaction, Results: The majority of diabetic patients had urinary iodine in the range of 100 - 200 mu g/l, which is a good indicator of optimal iodine intake. A considerable part of the patients with diabetes Type I had iodine deficiency, and more than 30% of the diabetics Type 2 had iodine excess. Conclusion: This report shows that the patients with diabetes are a risk group for thyroid disorders. Further studies are required and, therefore, it seems reasonable to frequently control the thyroid function in patients with diabetes.