Association of plasma selenium with hemoglobin among older women: the InCHIANTI study

Abstract

Selenium (Se) deficiency is associated with anemia in animals, but the relationship between Se and anemia in humans has not been well characterized. This study aims to characterize the association between Se and hemoglobin (Hb) among 486 women and 376 men, 65 y and older in the InCHIANTI study, a population-based cohort of adults living in Tuscany, Italy. Among women and men, mean (SD) plasma Se was 75.2 (12.3) and 74.6 (12.6) ug/L (P = 0.48), and mean Hb was 13.1 (1.1) and 14.4 (1.3) g/dL, respectively (P < 0.0001). Plasma Se was correlated with Hb (women: r = 0.22, P < 0.0001; men: r = 0.12, P = 0.018). In multivariate analyses, quartiles of Se were associated with Hb among women (P = 0.045) but not men (P = 0.78 for trend), after adjusting for potential confounders. These data are consistent with findings from the British National Diet and Nutrition Survey and the Women’s Health and Aging Studies. Animal studies suggest that lower Se levels may shorten erythrocyte survival because of decreased ability to resist oxidative stress. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between Se deficiency and anemia in older adults.