Selenium Exposure and Incident Hypertension Among Chinese Adults (P24-020-19)

Abstract

ObjectivesChina is the epicenter of a major global increase in hypertension among low and middle-income countries. The burden of mortality, morbidity, and disability from hypertension in China has been shown to be the highest in absolute or relative terms globally. While some cross-sectional study reported higher selenium concentrations were associated with higher prevalence of hypertension, few longitudinal studies examined the association between selenium and incident hypertension. MethodsWe used a sub-cohort data from a longitudinal study, the China Health and Nutrition Survey. We followed up 2530 non-hypertensive participants aged 20 – 65 years old who had selenium concentrations measured on toenail samples in 2009 through 2015. We defined hypertension as systolic pressure >140 mm Hg, diastolic pressure >90, diagnosed by physicians, or taking anti-hypertension medications. We measured selenium concentrations in toenail samples by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and used logistic regression models to estimate the association between selenium quartiles and incident hypertension. ResultsThe average selenium concentration was 0.41 (±0.23) mg/kg and the median was 0.39 mg/kg. The incidence of hypertension from the first to the fourth quartile was 28.3%, 25.2%, 25.0%, and 21.5%, respectively, with an average incidence of 24.4% during the six follow-up years. Compared to the fourth quartile (average selenium concentration 0.70 mg/kg and range 0.52 – 2.72), the relative risk (RR) was 1.46 (95% CI: 1.11 – 1.93), 1.29 (95% CI: 0.97 – 1.71), and 1.32 (95% CI: 1.00 – 1.75) from the first (lowest) to the third quartile, respectively, controlled for age, gender, body mass index, and some other cofounders. ConclusionsLow selenium concentrations increased the risk of hypertension among Chinese adults. More research is needed to fully understand the effects of selenium exposure on hypertension. Funding SourcesThe Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH; The Fogarty International Center, NIH; Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.