Selenium and bone health: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Bone Metabolism
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Bone health is crucial for mobility and preventing morbidity/mortality.
• Osteoporosis risk factors require further elucidation.
• Selenium deficiency is a potential, yet inconclusive, risk factor for osteoporosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze existing literature.
• To examine associations between selenium (dietary/serum) and bone health outcomes.
• To investigate links between selenium and bone mineral density (BMD), osteoporosis, and fractures.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to October 2019.
• Inclusion of human interventional and observational studies.
• Meta-analysis of BMD, osteoporosis prevalence/incidence, and osteoporotic fractures, assessing heterogeneity and publication bias.

Main Results:

• Pooled analyses will quantify associations using mean differences, OR, RR, HR, or beta coefficients with 95% CIs.
• Study quality assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or Cochrane risk of bias tool.
• Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusions:

• This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a quantitative assessment of the relationship between selenium status and bone health.
• Findings will contribute to understanding osteoporosis risk factors.
• The study aims to clarify the inconclusive evidence on selenium's role in bone health.