Selenium Deficiency After Bariatric Surgery, Incidence and Symptoms: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This study review the prevalence of selenium deficiency after bariatric surgery, incidence, and symptoms. A systematic literature search and meta-analysis was performed in PubMed and Scopus for articles published by November 1, 2021, including the keywords "Roux-en Y gastric bypass", "RYGB", "Omega bypass", "Mini bypass", "One anastomosis gastric bypass", "Bariatric surgery", "Weight loss surgery", "Metabolic surgery", "Gastric bypass", "Loop gastric bypass", "Selenium", "Selenium deficiency", or a combination of aimed tothem in the title or abstract. In this review, nine studies examining a total of 1174 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The mean age of the patients was 41.14 ± 7.69 years. The mean interval between bariatric surgery and selenium deficiency was 40.36 ± 43.29 months. Mean BMI before surgery and at the time of selenium deficiency was 43.68 ± 4.91 kg/m² and 28.41 ± 9.09 kg/m², respectively. Additionally, the results showed a prevalence of 16% and 2% of selenium deficiency at 1- and 2-year follow-up after bariatric surgery, respectively. Symptoms included weakness, myopathy, and cardiomyopathy, loss of muscle mass, erythematous desquamating eruption, lethargy, dyspnea, and bilateral lower extremity pitting edema. Forty percent of studies reported "Selenium orally (100 μg once daily)" as treatment option. A multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including dietitians, should be involved in the bariatric patient's care. As a result, clinicians should encourage patients to take supplements for the rest of their lives, and patients should be monitored after surgery if necessary.