Does smoking affect thyroid gland enlargement and nodule formation in iodine-sufficient regions?

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of smoking on thyroid nodule formation and goiter development in healthy subjects living in Istanbul, an iodine-sufficient region. This study was designed as a prospective, randomized, and observational study.

Methods: Included in the study were voluntary hospital staff and relatives of patients between the ages of 28 and 71 who had no known disease or drug use, who have been living in Istanbul and had been smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day for at least 10years.