radioactive iodine therapy and glucose tolerance

radioactive iodine therapy is commonly used as an adjuvant therapy in follicular and papillary thyroid carcinoma and also in the treatment of graves’ disease. the basis of which is the accumulation of radioactive iodine by the sodium-iodide symporter (nis) in the thyroid gland. expression of nis by extrathyroidal tissues including islets of pancreas has been reported. radioactive iodine uptake by pancreatic beta-cells can potentially damage these beta-cells. in this study, any possible associations between radioactive iodine and glucose intolerance have been discussed. overall, it seems radioactive iodine uptake by the pancreas may damage beta-cells and predispose patients to glucose intolerance or even type 2 diabetes, in particular, in patients exposed to radioactive iodine therapy following total thyroidectomy. further studies are however needed to clarify and confirm this association.