Selenium as a predictor of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged women

A new research paper titled "Selenium as a predictor of metabolic syndrome in middle age women" has been published in Aging.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a widespread clinical entity that has become almost a global epidemic. Selenium plays an important role in metabolic homeostasis. It has been suggested that it may also affect the expression and activity of PPAR-γ—an important mediator in energy balance and cell differentiation. In this new study, researchers Daria Schneider-Matyka, Anna Maria Cybulska, Małgorzata Szkup, Bogumiła Pilarczyk, Mariusz Panczyk, Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak, and Elżbieta Grochans from Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, West Pomeranian University of Technology and Medical University of Warsaw aimed to analyze the relationships between these variables in the context of the health of women, for whom the risk of MetS increases with age.

"The aim of this study was to search for a relationship between selenium concentrations and MetS, and to assess the impact of PPAR-γ on the incidence of MetS with regard to the moderating role of selenium," the researchers explain.

The study involved 390 women in middle age. The stages of study: a survey-based part; anthropometric measurements; analysis of biological material (blood) in terms of glycemia, triglyceride, HDL, and selenium levels, as well as genetic analysis of the PPAR-γ polymorphisms. The researchers found that selenium may moderate the effect of the G allele of the PPAR-γ gene on the occurrence of elevated waist circumference (OR=1.030, 95%CI 1.005-1.057, p=0.020); and the effect of the C (OR=1.077, 95%CI 1.009-1.149, p=0.026) and the G alleles (OR=1.052, 95%CI 1.025-1.080, p<0.000) on the odds of elevated blood pressure. Women in whom HDL levels were not significantly reduced, had higher selenium levels (p=0.007).

This study lead the team to four distinct conclusions:

1. The effect of selenium on MetS and its components has not been demonstrated
2. The effect of individual alleles of the PPAR-γ gene on MetS and its components was not demonstrated
3. The concentration of selenium may affect waist circumference in carriers of the G allele, and arterial hypertension in carriers of the C and G alleles by affecting the expression of PPAR-γ
4. Higher selenium concentrations increased the odds of higher HDL levels in the group of subjects meeting the MetS criteria.

"Recently, optimizing selenium intake in the population to prevent diseases associated with selenium deficiency or excess has been an important issue in modern health care worldwide. Our study suggests the influence of selenium levels on some components of MetS, such as waist circumference, blood pressure and HDL concentration. Thus, serum selenium concentration could be considered as one of the factors affecting some components of MetS," the researchers conclude.