Newswise — Falls Church, Virginia. May 25, 2012.
May 25th is being celebrated by the European Thyroid Association (www.eurothyroid.com), the American Thyroid Association (www.thyroid.org), the Asia-Oceania Thyroid Association (www.aothyroid.org) and the Latin American Thyroid Society (www.lats.org) as World Thyroid Day (WTD), a day dedicated to all thyroid patients, to those who provide care and education to them and to the investigators whose discoveries help improve the treatment of patients with thyroid diseases.
During WTD, which was established in 2008, events are held all over the world to stimulate awareness of thyroid disease, educate the public and influence public policy. Thyroid diseases are on the rise worldwide. Iodine deficiency and related disorders afflict hundreds of millions of people and remain a preventable cause of mental retardation and other disorders. Meanwhile, the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing rapidly, in part due to incidental discovery of small thyroid lesions, which nevertheless represent a major public health challenge. This year is also the centennial of the description of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which causes thyroid underactivity, and which is the commonest manifestation of thyroid disease around the world.ATA President, Dr. James A. Fagin, says, “Commemoration of World Thyroid Day helps to remind us of the extent of these problems, as well as to celebrate our accomplishments in improving the lives of our patients, and of the challenges we still face.”
Thyroid diseases will require the continued attention of the WHO and healthcare authorities to focus upon aspects of these conditions that would benefit from enlightened public policies, such as correcting iodine deficiency in vulnerable populations, providing iodine prophylaxis in case of nuclear reactor accidents, among others.
The WTD has a dual purpose. First, it aims to integrate and improve standards of medical care by strengthening the collaboration of the members of the Thyroid Associations for concerted action. In addition, it is an incentive for social and political initiatives, a Day that seeks to heighten public awareness about the importance of an efficiently functioning thyroid gland at every age. We also urge support of thyroid research, to increase resources for therapeutic intervention and to implement programs for prevention of thyroid disease, especially in remote areas and among the less privileged.
About the American Thyroid AssociationThe American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement, understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. ATA is an international individual membership organization with over 1,600 members from 43 countries around the world. Celebrating its 89th anniversary, ATA delivers its mission through several key endeavors: the publication of highly regarded monthly journals, THYROID, Clinical Thyroidology and Clinical Thyroidology for Patients; annual scientific meetings; biennial clinical and research symposia; research grant programs for young investigators, support of online professional, public and patient educational programs; and the development of guidelines for clinical management of thyroid disease. Visit www.thyroid.org for more information.
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