Treatment of endemic goitre is medical with iodine and thyroxine preparations.

Deficiency also causes thyroid gland problems, including "endemic goitre".

Endemic goitre is a type of goitre that is associated with dietary iodine deficiency.

As the variety of food sources dramatically increased in Europe and North America and the populations became less completely dependent on locally grown food, the prevalence of endemic goitre diminished.

Hetzel worked in remote areas of Papua New Guinea with the Public Health Department of the then Territory, and his research concluded that the endemic goitre and associated cretinism was attributable to an iodine deficient diet.