01.27.22
Selenium could play a critical role in preventing the risk of overall mortality for those with type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of NHANES data appearing in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The association is linear; the more selenium that type 2 diabetes patients reported consuming, the less likely it was that they would die of heart disease or of all causes during a 12.6 year average follow-up.
In total, 3,199 adults with type 2 diabetes were used as sources of data from the third and first NHANES studies. Mortality from heart disease and all causes was recorded across the population. The participants were categorized by the researchers into quartiles based on their selenium concentrations.
The median concentration of serum selenium was 127 ng/L. During the follow-up period, 1,693 deaths were documented, including 425 which were attributed to heart disease. Compared to the lowest quartile of serum selenium, the highest quartile participants were only 69% as likely to die of all causes, and 66% as likely to die of heart disease.
A linear-response relation between serum selenium and mortality was observed. A per-unit increment in increase in serum selenium resulted in a 64% reduction in all-cause mortality risk, and a 66% reduction in heart disease mortality risk.
Cofounding factors were also covered - similar results were observed when the participants were stratified by age, sex, race, smoking status, BMI, physical activity, diabetes duration, and HbA1c concentrations, the authors noted.
“Our study suggested that higher selenium concentration was associated with lower all-cause and heart disease mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes,” the authors concluded. “More studies are needed to confirm these findings.”
In total, 3,199 adults with type 2 diabetes were used as sources of data from the third and first NHANES studies. Mortality from heart disease and all causes was recorded across the population. The participants were categorized by the researchers into quartiles based on their selenium concentrations.
The median concentration of serum selenium was 127 ng/L. During the follow-up period, 1,693 deaths were documented, including 425 which were attributed to heart disease. Compared to the lowest quartile of serum selenium, the highest quartile participants were only 69% as likely to die of all causes, and 66% as likely to die of heart disease.
A linear-response relation between serum selenium and mortality was observed. A per-unit increment in increase in serum selenium resulted in a 64% reduction in all-cause mortality risk, and a 66% reduction in heart disease mortality risk.
Cofounding factors were also covered - similar results were observed when the participants were stratified by age, sex, race, smoking status, BMI, physical activity, diabetes duration, and HbA1c concentrations, the authors noted.
“Our study suggested that higher selenium concentration was associated with lower all-cause and heart disease mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes,” the authors concluded. “More studies are needed to confirm these findings.”