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Selenium protects against developing heart failure and death


People who have enough selenium in their blood have a lower risk of developing heart failure. They also appear to have a lower risk of death than people who are deficient in selenium. This is apparent from a study by Nils Bömer of the UMCG. The results of this study have been published in the European Journal of Heart Failure.

Diet has a major impact on the human heart. An imbalance of minerals and, for example, the amount of iron, iodine and zinc in the patient’s blood is closely related to the development and progression of heart failure. It has been previously shown that up to 50% of patients with heart failure suffer from some form of malnutrition, such as a deficiency of micronutrients such as iron, iodine and zinc.

Selenium is a micronutrient similar to iron or iodine. Selenium is indispensable as a building block for seleno proteins. These proteins play an important role by being able to counteract harmful particles that attack cells. But they also play a role in the regulation of thyroid hormone, inflammation or cancer. Selenium is found in fish and meat, but also in vegetable products and nuts. It is not a body substance. A deficiency can be demonstrated through a blood test. It is virtually impossible to get too much selenium through food.

Bömer’s research shows that especially non-smoking people with an above-average amount of selenium in their blood have a lower risk of developing heart failure. This concerns about 15% of the total population population. This group with optimal selenium levels in their blood was also found to have a lower risk of death. The people with too low selenium were more often women and more often showed features of the metabolic syndrome: higher BMI, higher inflammatory values, more frequent anemia and iron deficiency. They were also found to smoke more often.

Bömer’s research also shows that the Dutch population has a relatively low blood selenium concentration on average. This is partly due to the relatively low amount of selenium in the soil in Europe compared to, for example, America. As a result, food products grown in Europe contain less selenium than those from, for example, North or South America.

Medics assume that the selenium concentration in the blood should be at least 70 micrograms per liter. Earlier research by Bömer already showed that about 25% of patients with heart failure are affected and that this was associated with poorer quality of life, poor exercise tolerance and a poorer prognosis. According to Bömer, the results of his study indicate the great importance of getting the right amount of selenium through the right diet.

More information can be found in the publication ‘High selenium levels associate with reduced risk of mortality and new-onset heart failure: data from PREVEND‘ in European Journal of Heart Failure.


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