Research: ARNAUD and COLLEAGUES,

Listed in Issue 186

Abstract

ARNAUD and COLLEAGUES,  INSERM, U884, F-38000 Grenoble, France. JArnaud@chu-grenoble.fr studied the effects of fibrates and statins on plasma selenium levels in elderly dyslipidaemic (abnormal amount of lipids e.g. cholesterol and/or fat in the blood) patients.

Background

This secondary analysis of Etude du Vieillissement Arteriel (EVA) study reports the effect of fibrates and statins on plasma selenium concentration and its 9-year change in free-living dyslipidemic elderly.

Methodology

Dyslipidemic patients were categorized in three sub-groups according to final low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol level or hypolipidemic treatment: non-treated dyslipidemic (LDL-cholesterol >4.41 mmol/L, n=84); dyslipidemics who were treated exclusively by fibrates (n=47) or by statins (n=25) whatever their serum LDL-cholesterol concentration. The influence of lipid-lowering treatments on plasma selenium concentrations and its 9-year change was evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate linear regression models taking into account cardiovascular risk and changes in lipid-profile parameters.

Results

Multivariate linear regression indicated that the plasma selenium decline was associated with the longitudinal variation in LDL (beta=-0.039+/-0.019, p=0.04) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations (beta=0.187+/-0.059, p=0.002) but not with triglycerides (beta=-0.018+/-0.031, p=0.57). During the 9-year follow-up, similar plasma selenium declines were observed in all the sub-groups (p=0.33) despite plasma selenium levels being higher in fibrate users and lower in statin users (p=0.0004).

Conclusion

The mechanisms underlying these data are not yet totally understood, but considering the risk of selenium deficiency in the elderly and its relationship with poor health status further clinical trial is needed to verify the proposed hypotheses.

References

Arnaud J, Akbaraly TN, Hininger-Favier I, Berr C and Roussel AM. Fibrates but not statins increase plasma selenium in dyslipidemic aged patients--the EVA study. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine & Biology. 23(1):21-8. 2009.

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