Scientific opinion on the safety of selenite triglycerides as a source of selenium added for nutritional purposes to food supplements

Association of daily selenium intake and glaucoma: A cross-sectional study

The association between dietary selenium intake and glaucoma remains unclear. Using data from the 2005 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this study aimed to investigate the relationship between glaucoma and dietary selenium intake. The study included subjects aged 40 years or older who participated in the NHANES dietary intake interview and vision health questionnaire. Diagnosis of glaucoma based on self-reporting or fundus imaging. To investigate the relationship between daily selenium consumption and glaucoma, logistic regression analyses were employed. The potential linear relationship was found using smooth curve fitting. Subgroup analyses were also used. We found higher dietary selenium intake was associated with an increased risk of glaucoma (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence intervals,1.07-1.81) on multivariable analysis. A linear association was found between dietary selenium intake and the occurrence of glaucoma in this population (Pnon-linearity = 0.951). Subgroup analyses showed a stable correlation between dietary selenium intake and the occurrence of glaucoma (all P for interaction > .05).This is the first study to look at the connection between dietary selenium intake and glaucoma based on the data from the 2005 to 2008 NHANES. Our findings suggested that dietary selenium intake maybe positively correlated with the risk of glaucoma in adults older than 40 years old. To find out the potential relationship between dietary selenium intake and glaucoma, More longitudinal studies are required.

Selenium as a Modulator of Redox Reactions in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases stand as the predominant global cause of mortality, exerting a profound impact on both life expectancy and its quality. Given their immense public health burden, extensive efforts have been dedicated to comprehending the underlying mechanisms and developing strategies for prevention and treatment. Selenium, a crucial participant in redox reactions, emerges as a notable factor in maintaining myocardial cell homeostasis and influencing the progression of cardiovascular disorders. Some disorders, such as Keshan disease, are directly linked with its environmental deficiency. Nevertheless, the precise extent of its impact on the cardiovascular system remains unclear, marked by contradictory findings in the existing literature. High selenium levels have been associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension, while lower concentrations have been linked to heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Although some trials have shown its potential effectiveness in specific groups of patients, large cohort supplementation attempts have generally yielded unsatisfactory outcomes. Consequently, there persists a significant need for further research aimed at delineating specific patient cohorts and groups of diseases that would benefit from selenium supplementation.

Association of Urinary and Dietary Selenium and of Serum Selenium Species with Serum Alanine Aminotransferase in a Healthy Italian Population

The trace element selenium is of considerable interest due to its toxic and nutritional properties, which markedly differ according to the dose and the chemical form. It has been shown that excess selenium intake increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and, possibly, other metabolic diseases like hyperlipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). For the latter, however, epidemiologic evidence is still limited. We carried out a cross-sectional study recruiting 137 healthy blood donors living in Northern Italy and assessed their exposure to selenium through different methods and measuring serum selenium species. We performed linear and spline regression analyses to assess the relation of selenium and its forms with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, a marker of NAFLD. Urinary selenium levels were positively and somewhat linearly correlated with ALT (beta regression coefficient (β) 0.11). Conversely, the association of dietary selenium intake with ALT was positive up to 100 µg/day and null above that amount (β 0.03). Total serum selenium was inversely associated with ALT up to 120 µg/L, and slightly positive above that amount. Concerning the different serum selenium species, ALT positively correlated with two organic forms, selenocysteine (β 0.27) and glutathione peroxidase-bound selenium (β 0.09), showed a U-shaped relation with the inorganic tetravalent form, selenite, and an inverse association with human serum albumin-bound selenium (β -0.56). Our results suggest that overall exposure to selenium, and more specifically to some of its chemical forms, is positively associated with ALT, even at levels so far generally considered to be safe. Our findings add to the evidence suggesting that low-dose selenium overexposure is associated with NAFLD.