Increased hair selenium concentration in hyperlipidemic patients

Péter Fülöp,Zoltán Jenei,Imre Juhász,György Paragh,Ildikó Seres

doi:10.1111/jcmm.12013

Péter Fülöp, Zoltán Jenei + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.12013

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Abstract

Selenium is an essential trace element with potential anti-atherogenic and antioxidant effects. Experimental data suggest that selenium might be beneficial in the prevention of atherosclerosis and its complications, whereas human epidemiological studies have yielded conflicting results. Data on hair selenium status in hyperlipidemic patients are still lacking. Therefore, we analysed selenium concentrations by X-ray fluorescence in the hair of 81 statin-naïve patients with newly diagnosed Fredrickson-type IIa and IIb hyperlipoproteinemia and compared their data with 43 healthy volunteers. We also assessed the frequency of other classical risk factors of atherosclerosis. Hair selenium levels were found to be significantly higher in hyperlipidemic patients compared with volunteers with normal lipid levels. Also, a significantly increased number of traditional atherosclerosis risk factors were observed in hyperlipidemic patients with hair selenium concentrations above the median in contrast to those with below. Our results suggest that high hair selenium status might be associated with adverse blood lipid profile together with an increased number of traditional risk factors in a selenium-deplete population. These findings warrant further investigations to study the impact of selenium supplementation on the incidence of cardiovascular events.

Highlights

IntroductionSelenium is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in several redox, metabolic and inflammatory pathways in mammals
Selenium is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in several redox, metabolic and inflammatory pathways in mammals.These processes are involved in the development of atherosclerosis, in which selenium is suggested to be protective functioning as a selenocysteine incorporated into selenoproteins
Our data indicate that hyperlipidemic patients with hair selenium levels above the median carry significantly more traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis in contrast to those hyperlipidemics with hair selenium levels below the median

Summary

Introduction

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in several redox, metabolic and inflammatory pathways in mammals. These processes are involved in the development of atherosclerosis, in which selenium is suggested to be protective functioning as a selenocysteine incorporated into selenoproteins. Epidemiological studies have previously established the importance of dyslipidemia and oxidative stress in atherosclerosis, in which oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is the major culprit by initiating and maintaining the progression of the disease [2,3,4]. Orgy PARAGH, MD, PhD, DSc, Institutional mailing address: Institute of Internal Medicine, University of Debrecen. Medical and Health Science Center, 4032 Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. Other factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity and positive cardiovascular family history present the traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis resulting in the increased incidence of cardiovascular events in these individuals.

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