Incidence of Hypertension is quite high amongst the elderly population, and has also been found to be increasing. Most of the patients have Primary Hypertension, where no obvious underlying cause is noticed despite detailed investigations. Lack of iodine in diet may lead to iodine deficiency state, which can cause goiter and a clinical condition called hypothyroidism. Children born to mothers who are iodine deficient, can suffer from cretinism, with mental retardation, low BMR (basal metabolic rate), slow pulse rate, and all other features that accompany hypothyroidism. Under advise of WHO, as a remedial measure universal salt iodization program (USI) was started wherein only fortified table salt with iodine is being supplied and used everywhere in India (and maybe elsewhere in the world), irrespective of the fact whether a region is iodine deficient or not. Further research is definitely needed, especially in non-endemic regions of goiter, to see if USI be causing rising incidence of hypertension? Perhaps an innocuous factor that has been overlooked? The authors feel that USI is justified in iodine deficiency regions, but not justified where there is no deficiency of iodine.
