Disease × agent evidence record

Iodine for Hypothyroidism: evidence, trials and status

Iodine has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Hypothyroidism. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit.

8 registered trials 1 recruiting 19 publications Evidence tier C · Preliminary Score 56.0
Research Tracker › Pairs › Hypothyroidism › Iodine
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Iodine has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Hypothyroidism. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Iodine to Hypothyroidism: 1 is currently recruiting; 6 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT02280330). The largest enrolment is 6564 participants (NCT03180892). Registration activity spans 2011 to 2021. The literature layer holds 19 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 4 meta-analyses, 3 systematic reviews, 2 randomised controlled trial publications and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2014 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.

The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Hypothyroidism ranks 81 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Hashimoto's (most common cause) is irreversible in majority; spontaneous recovery in <5%; subclinical hypothyroidism spontaneously normalizes in ~30-40% of cases within 2 years without treatment.

Open in Repurposing ExplorerHypothyroidism hubHypothyroidism biomarkers & interventionsOSMF ReviewCitation

Evidence table

Evidence tierC · Preliminary
Evidence score56.0 (trials 21.0, literature 30.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0)
Registered trials8 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 6 completed, 1 other
Linked publications19 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 4 meta-analyses, 3 systematic reviews, 2 randomised controlled trial publications)
Agent typeSupplement
Development stage (any indication)Preclinical
Mechanism / classHerbal treatments for hypothyroidism: an evidence-based review · Santiago JB, Martinez F, Durzynski N, Varon J, Halma M · 2025
Data sourcesOSMF Chronic Disease Review
How the evidence score is calculated
  • Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
  • Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
  • The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
  • Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
  • The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.

Registered clinical trials

NCT IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT02280330Iodine Status of Preschoolers Given Micronutrient Powder for 6 Months
2014
completedPhase 4396
NCT01950260Early Levothyroxine Post Radioactive Iodine
2013
completedPHASE2, PHASE361
NCT01349634The Effects of Iodized Salt on Cognitive Development in Ethiopia
2011
completedNot applicable5,704
NCT04860622Normal Range of TSH and FT4 in Pregnancy
2021
completedNot applicable528
NCT02190214Thyroid Disorders in Malaysia: A Nationwide Multicentre Study
2014
completedNot applicable2,498
NCT03180892Non-immune Related Hypothyroidism in Iodine Sufficient Area
2013
completedNot applicable6,564
NCT04831957Hypothyroidism After the TAVI Procedure in Elderly Patients
2021
recruitingNot applicable20
NCT03120221Iodine Status in Pregnant Women in Israel
2017
status unknownNot applicable160

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

Recorded mechanism or class: Herbal treatments for hypothyroidism: an evidence-based review · Santiago JB, Martinez F, Durzynski N, Varon J, Halma M · 2025.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Iodine approved for Hypothyroidism?

Iodine has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Hypothyroidism. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Iodine in clinical trials for Hypothyroidism?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Iodine to Hypothyroidism: 1 is currently recruiting; 6 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT02280330). The largest enrolment is 6564 participants (NCT03180892). Registration activity spans 2011 to 2021.

What does the evidence show for Iodine in Hypothyroidism?

Iodine has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Hypothyroidism. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Iodine for Hypothyroidism: evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/hypothyroidism/iodine.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.