Thyroid disease has become a challenge to public health. As it has been for eleven years, LATS, together with the American Thyroid Association (ATA), the European Thyroid Association and the Asia & Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA) supports World Thyroid Day, instituted May 25, to defy thyroid disease specially in our latin american countries.
The date is yet another opportunity to raise public awareness about the subject. The particular focus this year is the children at risk for developing thyroid diseases, including pediatric thyroid cancer. We therefore reinforce our statement about salt iodization to assure the correct thyroid function of our children.
Today more than 200 million people worldwide have problems with the thyroid gland. In addition to the genetic background, insufficient iodine intake, smoking, alcohol, obesity, diabetes and other environmental disruptors may increase the incidence of thyroid dysfunction and neoplasia. Several diagnostic blood tests and images are now available to identify thyroid disease and eventually treat it.
Early diagnosis is the key to improve quality of life and avoid complications.
The guidelines for thyroid disease are open to the public and accessible on the LATS website: https://www.lats.org/guidelines-statements/.
