# IODINE EXCESS, THYROID DYSFUNCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES, AND MORTALITY AMONG U.S. VETERANS

> **NIH VA I01** · VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · 2021 · —

## Abstract

The research proposal will examine the associations between excess iodine exposure (from iodinated
radiologic contrast agents) and iodine-induced thyroid dysfunction, cardiovascular outcomes, and mortality
among Veterans. Iodine is a micronutrient required for thyroid hormone production, which in turn is important
for overall metabolism (regulation of oxygen consumption and actions of protein, carbohydrate, lipid, and
vitamin use) and has effects on mood, cognition, the heart, muscle, and bone.
 In U.S. adults, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iodine is 150 mcg/day. Exposure to
excessive levels of iodine can induce thyroid hormone under- or overproduction due to two well-established
physiologic principles in thyroidology: the failure to escape from the acute Wolff-Chaikoff effect, and the Jod-
Basedow phenomenon, respectively. The iodine content of radiologic iodinated contrast agents can be up to
several thousand-fold higher than the U.S. RDA for iodine. In susceptible individuals, thyroid dysfunction
(hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism) can result even after only a single exposure to an iodine-rich substance.
 Thyroid hormone is important for several cardiac parameters, including systolic contraction, cardiac output,
preload, coronary arteriolar angiogenesis, coronary vascular resistance, vascular tone, and cardiac
hypertrophy. Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism have been associated with congestive heart failure
(CHF), cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality, compared to euthyroid individuals; hyperthyroidism is
additionally a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). Currently in Veterans or the general U.S. population, there
are no clinical guidelines following the routine administration of iodinated contrast from coronary angiograms,
computed tomography scans, fistulograms, cystograms, venograms, and other iodinated imaging studies.
 The hypotheses of this proposal are that excess iodine exposure (via iodinated contrast media
administration) is associated with iodine-induced thyroid dysfunction, adverse clinical cardiovascular outcomes
(AF, CHF, cardiovascular mortality), and overall mortality in the Veteran population, in whom thyroid
dysfunction may augment the risks of underlying cardiac disorders. SPECIFIC AIMS 1A and 1B will be case-
control studues to determine the effects of iodinated radiographic contrast exposure on serum thyroid
dysfunction, AF, CHF, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality among Veterans from health records in
the VA Corporate Data Warehouse database. Mixed effects conditional logistic regression models will be used
to estimate the OR and 95% CI of iodinated contrast media exposure on incident overt and subclinical
hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, AF, and CHF, and adjusted for important covariates which will include
relevant comorbidities and serum CRP, IL-1, and IL-6 concentrations. Cox proportional hazard regression
models will be used to examine the effect of iodine exposure ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10041703
- **Project number:** 5I01CX001845-02
- **Recipient organization:** VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela Leung
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10041703

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10041703, IODINE EXCESS, THYROID DYSFUNCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES, AND MORTALITY AMONG U.S. VETERANS (5I01CX001845-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10041703. Licensed CC0.

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