Relationship between the Circulating Selenium Level and Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Biomarkers
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Selenium is an essential trace element with antioxidant properties.
• Observational studies have suggested a potential link between selenium levels and various health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases.
• The specific association between circulating selenium and stroke risk requires comprehensive summarization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing evidence from observational studies on the relationship between circulating selenium levels and stroke.
• To quantify the association using pooled relative risk (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD).

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase up to October 2020.
• Included studies were observational, examining the association between circulating selenium and stroke.
• Meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled RR and WMD with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

• Eleven articles comprising 12 observational studies were analyzed.
• A significant inverse association was found between circulating selenium level and stroke risk (RR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.24 to 0.94).
• Lower circulating selenium levels were observed in stroke patients compared to controls (WMD = -0.16, 95%CI: -0.29 to -0.03).

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest an inverse relationship between circulating selenium levels and stroke.
• Current evidence is limited, and a definitive association cannot be concluded.
• Further well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to clarify this relationship, specifying selenium biomarkers.