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Research: BEUKHOF and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 256
Abstract
BEUKHOF and COLLEAGUES, 1. Department of Internal Medicine, Rotterdam Thyroid Center, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
2. Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany investigated Se status in a cohort of 387 healthy elderly men in relation to thyroid function tests (TFTs) and bone mineral density (BMD).
Background
It is still a matter of debate if subtle changes in selenium (Se) status affect thyroid function tests (TFTs) and bone mineral density (BMD). This is particularly relevant for the elderly, whose nutritional status is more vulnerable.
Methodology
We investigated Se status in a cohort of 387 healthy elderly men (median age 77 yrs; inter quartile range 75-80 yrs) in relation to TFTs and BMD. Se status was determined by measuring both plasma selenoprotein P (SePP) and Se.
Results
The overall Se status in our population was low normal with only 0.5% (2/387) of subjects meeting the criteria for Se deficiency. SePP and Se levels were not associated with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) or reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) levels. The T3/T4 and T3/rT3 ratios, reflecting peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormone, were not associated with Se status either. SePP and Se were positively associated with total BMD and femoral trochanter BMD. Se, but not SePP, was positively associated with femoral neck and ward's BMD. Multivariate linear analyses showed that these associations remain statistically significant in a model including TSH, FT4, body mass index, physical performance score, age, smoking, diabetes mellitus and number of medication use.
Conclusion
Our study demonstrates that Se status, within the normal European marginally supplied range, is positively associated with BMD in healthy aging men, independent of thyroid function. Thyroid function tests appear unaffected by Se status in this population.
References
Beukhof CM1, Medici M1, van den Beld AW1, Hollenbach B2, Hoeg A2, Visser WE1, de Herder WW1, Visser TJ1, Schomburg L2, Peeters RP1. Selenium Status Is Positively Associated with Bone Mineral Density in Healthy Aging European Men. PLoS One. 11(4):e0152748. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152748. eCollection 2016. Apr 7 2016.
