Research: KARDINAAL and colleagues,

Listed in Issue 28

Abstract

KARDINAAL and colleagues, Department of Epidemiology, TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist the Netherlands studied the association between selenium status and risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). @m: The multicentred case-control study across 10 centres from Europe and Israel was conducted in 1991-92. Selenium in toenails was measured for 683 nonfatal male cases with first acute heart attack and 729 controls less than 70 years of age. @r: The median toenail selenium content was 0.553 microgram/g for heart attack cases and 0.590 microgram/g for controls. After adjustment for age, centre and smoking, the odds ratio (OR) for heart attack in the highest quintile of selenium compared with the lowest was 0.63. This observed inverse trend was stronger when the authors adjusted for vitamin E status. Analysis according to smoking habits showed an inverse association in former smokers (OR=0.63) but not in current smokers (OR=0.97) or in those who had never smoked (OR=1.55). Analysis according to centre showed a significant inverse association between selenium levels and risk of heart attack for Germany (Berlin) only, the centre with the lowest selenium levels. @c: The increased risk of acute heart attack at low levels of selenium intake is largely explained by cigarette smoking; selenium status does not appear to be an important determinant of risk of heart attack at the levels observed in a large part of Europe.

Background

Methodology

Results

Conclusion

References

Kardinaal AF et al. Association between toenail selenium and risk of acute myocardial infarction in European men. The EURAMIC Study. European Antioxidant Myocardial Infarction and Breast Cancer. Am J Epidemiol 145(4): 373-9. Feb 15 1997.

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