Day-to-day and within-day variation in urinary iodine excretion

Abstract

Objective: To examine the day-to-day and within-day variation in urinary iodine excretion and the day-to-day variation in iodine intake.

Design: Collection of consecutive 24-h urine samples and casual urine samples over 24 h.

Setting: The study population consisted of highly motivated subjects from our Institute.

Subjects: Study 1: Ten healthy subjects (seven females and three males) aged 30–46 y. Study 2: Twenty-two healthy subjects (9 males and 13 females) aged 30–55 y.

Methods: Study 1: 24-h urine samples were collected for four consecutive days. Study 2: Each urine voided over 24 h was collected into separate containers. In both studies dietary records were kept.

Main outcome measures: Twenty-four-hour urinary iodine excretion, 24-h urinary iodine excretion estimated as I/Cr*24 h Cr and as a concentration in casual urine samples.

Results: Study 1: Both iodine excreted in 24-h urine and iodine intake varied from day-to-day. Iodine excretion correlated with iodine intake (r=0.46, P=0.01). Iodine intake (mean 89±6.5 μg/d) was not significantly different from iodine excretion (mean 95±5.3 μg/d). Study 2: Twenty-four hour iodine excretion estimated as I/Cr*24 h Cr from the morning urine sample was significantly lower than actual 24-h iodine excretion, whereas 24-h iodine excretion estimated as I/Cr*24 h Cr from the first sample after the morning sample and the last sample before the subjects went to bed was not significantly different from actual 24-h iodine excretion. Twenty-four-hour urine excretion estimated as a concentration was lower than actual 24-h iodine excretion in casual urine taken at any time of the day.

Conclusions: For determination of iodine status in an individual, more than one 24-h urine sample must be used. The use of the I/Cr ratio in casual urine samples is a usable measure of iodine status if corrected for the age- and sex-adjusted 24-h creatinine excretion. Further, the study suggests that fasting morning urine samples would underestimate iodine status in this population.

Sponsorship: The study was supported by a grant from the 1991 Farmacy Foundation (Denmark).

Contributors: Lone Banke Rasmussen and Lars Ovesen contributed to design, carried out the study, and wrote the paper. Erik Christiansen made the analyses.

Guarantor: Lone Banke Rasmussen.