Major Study in Great Britain Links Fluoride in Water to Hypothyroidism, and A New US Study Links Fluoride ot ADHD in the United States
Gazette Introductory Note: A bad week for promoters of water fluoridation saw two significant research publications. One, from the prestigious British Medical Journal, reported a significant increase in hypothyroidism in fluoridated areas in the UK as compared with unflouoridated; the second, from the journal Environmental Health, revealed a rise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in American children exposed to artificial water fluoridation. These studies both received wide press attention at a time when fluoridation is being rejected or discontinued in a growing number of American cities.–Hardly Waite.
A major new fluoridation study was published this week in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health–a British Medical Journal (BMJ) publication—and it has already received major media attention. The study, entitled Are fluoride levels in drinking water associated with hypothyroidism prevalence in England? A large observational study of GP practice data and fluoride levels in drinking water, is the first study to ever look at fluoridation and hypothyroidism in a large population (in this case, England). The study found a relatively strong and statistically significant effect, with General Practice (GP) areas being 62% more likely to have high rates of diagnosed hypothyroidism if their drinking water fluoride levels were above 0.7ppm compared to areas with fluoride levels below 0.3ppm. This was after researchers had accounted for key variable, which are other factors that influence hypothyroid rates.
In an additional comparison of two large metropolitan regions, one that is artificially fluoridated at a level of about 1.0 ppm (greater Birmingham area), and the other which is nearby and similar demographics but is not artificially fluoridated (greater Manchester), the study found a 94% greater probability that GPs in fluoridated Birmingham would have high hypothyroidism rates compared to Manchester.
For all of England, the prevalence rate of hypothyroidism was almost 10% greater in.those GPs with higher fluoride levels compared to those with lowest levels .
The findings led to the researchers calling for a “rethink of public health policy to fluoridate the water supply,” adding “consideration needs to be given to reducing fluoride exposure, and public dental health interventions should stop [those] reliant on ingested fluoride and switch to topical fluoride-based and non-fluoride-based interventions.”
Additional studies on thyroid and fluoride:
Here are other media articles reporting on the BJJ study:
-The Telegraph, Fluoride in drinking water may trigger depression and weight gain, warn scientists
-Newsweek, Water fluoridation may increase risk of underactive thyroid disorder
-The Yorkshire Post, Fluoride in water increases risk of thyroid illness ‘by 30 per cent’
-Boots WebMD (Boots is the largest pharmacy in the UK), Scientists call for rethink on fluoride in water
-The Telegraph, The extent of water fluoridation in the UK
Just when you thought we wouldn’t get any more bombshells this week, a study was published later in the week linking fluoridation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States.
The study entitled, “Exposure to fluoridated water and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prevalence among children and adolescents in the United States: an ecological association,” was published in the journal Environmental Health. According to the authors:
“State prevalence of artificial water fluoridation in 1992 significantly positively predicted state prevalence of ADHD in 2003, 2007 and 2011, even after controlling for socioeconomic status.
A multivariate regression analysis showed that after socioeconomic status was controlled each 1% increase in artificial fluoridation prevalence in 1992 was associated with approximately 67,000 to 131,000 additional ADHD diagnoses from 2003 to 2011. Overall state water fluoridation prevalence (not distinguishing between fluoridation types) was also significantly positively correlated with state prevalence of ADHD for all but one year examined.
Conclusions: Parents reported higher rates of medically-diagnosed ADHD in their children in states in which a greater proportion of people receive fluoridated water from public water supplies.”
Reference: Fluoride Action Network.
