Online
publication only
This is Alan Gaby’s reply
to the April 2006 rebuttal. . .
Drs. Abraham and Brownstein argue that it is seaweed, not the iodine in it,
that causes thyroid disorders. However, a main aspect of their iodine hypothesis
is that Japanese people are healthy because they eat a lot of iodine, which
in the Japanese diet comes mainly from seaweed. This seems like a contradiction.
Questioning whether Drs. Abraham and Brownstein have meticulously monitored
their patients for adverse effects is completely different than suggesting
that poor medical care was given, which I did not suggest. What I said was, "Before
one could confidently conclude that high-dose iodine is safe for 99% of the
population (as stated by Abraham and Brownstein), it seems that a systematic
toxicity study would be necessary." I suggested that such a study should
include serial testing of all patients to identify the appearance of thyroid
antibodies during treatment with iodine, since iodine supplementation has been
reported to increase the incidence of thyroiditis. Thyroid-antibody measurements
may not be necessary as a component of routine medical care, but they would
seem to be necessary before one could confidently claim that high-dose iodine
supplementation does not increase the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis.
I asked in my rebuttal how many of the iodine-treated patients had had thyroid-antibody
tests, but Drs. Abraham and Brownstein did not answer my question.
Concerning the report of deaths due to high-dose iodine, here is the pertinent
reference:
Sterling JB, Heymann WR. Potassium iodide in dermatology: a 19th century drug
for the 21st century – uses, pharmacology, adverse effects, and contraindications.
J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000;43:691-697.
In this review article, the authors state that in the 1920s and 1930s, when
potassium iodide (KI) was widely used, many patients died of KI-induced side
effects, particularly pulmonary edema and associated heart failure.
The Iodine Debate so far. . .
Editorial:
Iodine: A Lot to Swallow
by Alan Gaby, MD
(Aug/Sept
2005)
A
Rebuttal of Dr. Gaby's Editorial on Iodine
Online publication only. . .
(October
2005)
Alan
R. Gaby, MD's Response to:
A Rebuttal of Dr. Gaby's Editorial on Iodine
Online publication only. . .
(November
2005)
Iodine
Debate Continues
by Guy E. Abraham, MD and David
Brownstein, MD
Online publication only
(April
2006)
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