Sexual dimorphism in selenium deficiency is associated with metabolic syndrome and prevalence of heart disease

Abstract

Background Serum selenium levels have been associated with the incidence of heart failure (HF) and signs of the metabolic syndrome. In addition, notable differences have been reported between males and females in food intake and micronutrient metabolism, possibly explaining different health outcomes. Objective Our objective was to elucidate sex-specific, cross-sectional phenotypic differences in the association of serum selenium concentrations with parameters of metabolic syndrome and HF. Methods We investigated data from individuals from a community-based cohort (PREVEND; N = 4288) and heart failure cohort (BIOSTAT-CHF; N = 1994). In both populations, cross-sectional analyses were performed for potential interaction (p < 0.1) between sex and serum selenium with overlapping signs and clinical parameters of the metabolic syndrome and HF. Results Baseline selenium levels of the total cohort were similar between PREVEND (85.7 μg/L) and BIOSTAT-CHF (89.1 μg/L). Females with lower selenium levels had a higher BMI and increased prevalence of diabetes than females with higher selenium, in both PREVEND (pinteraction < 0.001; pinteraction = 0.040, resp.) and BIOSTAT-CHF (pinteraction = 0.021; pinteraction = 0.024, resp.), while opposite associations were observed for males. Additionally, in females, but not in males, lower selenium was associated with a higher prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI) in PREVEND (pinteraction = 0.021) and BIOSTAT-CHF (pinteraction = 0.084). Conclusion Lower selenium was associated with a higher BMI and increased prevalence of diabetes in females, opposite to males, and was also associated with more MI in females. Interventional studies are needed to validate this observation.

Association of Blood Selenium Levels with Diabetes and Heart Failure in American General Adults: a Cross-sectional Study of NHANES 2011–2020 pre

“…We observed that low blood selenium levels were associated with heart failure, which is consistent with the results of the BIOSTAT-CHF cohort study [38] and Yang L et al [39]. A meta-analysis showed the standard mean deviation (SMD) of selenium levels in heart failure patients were significantly lower than the healthy control group (SMD=-0.98, 95% CI: -1.34, -0.62) [39].…”

Sex-specific associations of serum selenium and selenoprotein P with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in the Berlin Aging Study II

“…The database for Se and hypertension is less well investigated, particularly with regard to serum SELENOP, as most studies investigated total Se only [ 21 , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] ]. Nawrot et al demonstrated a higher risk of high blood pressure with low blood Se levels, which was specific to men [ 43 , 47 ].…”

Physiological Benefits of Novel Selenium Delivery via Nanoparticles

“…Further research has demonstrated that Se status was associated with obesity, a chronic disease linked to inflammation, where either neutral or beneficial effects were observed with supplementation [ 11 , 28 , 29 ]. Interestingly, the available data indicate that sexual dimorphism plays a role in determining disease outcome; here lower Se status was linked to a higher BMI and increased risk of diabetes and reported incidences of myocardial infarction in females, yet the opposite was determined in males [ 30 ]. Conversely, contemporary research found that Se supplementation did not modulate oxidative damage and cellular proliferation within breast tissues in patients with an increased risk of breast cancer [ 31 ].…”