Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Trial of Selenium in Graves Hyperthyroidism

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Nutritional Science
• Immunology

Background:

• Graves disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder causing hyperthyroidism.
• The role of supplemental selenium (Se) in modulating the clinical course of GD is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of add-on selenium supplementation to standard medical treatment for Graves disease.
• To assess the impact of selenium on response rates, recurrence rates, and safety in GD patients.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized supplementation trial was conducted.
• Seventy untreated hyperthyroid GD patients received methimazole (MMI) plus either sodium selenite (300 µg/d) or placebo for 24 weeks.
• Key outcomes included response rate at week 24, recurrence rate at week 36, and safety assessments.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in response rates was observed between the selenium and placebo groups at week 24 (80% vs. 82%, P=0.904).
• Recurrence rates at week 36 were also similar (48% vs. 44%, P=0.81).
• Serum selenium and selenoprotein P levels did not correlate with response or recurrence, and adverse events were comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• Supplemental selenium did not demonstrate a significant effect on response or recurrence rates in patients with Graves disease.
• The findings suggest that selenium supplementation is not effective as an add-on therapy for GD management.