Lee Swanson Research Update

Low Selenium Levels in Elderly May Increase Risk of Anemia

January 2009

Researchers in Maryland have found that low levels of the mineral selenium may increase the risk of anemia in the elderly.

Writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the National Institute on Aging report that people with the lowest selenium levels were 11.4% more likely to have anemia, compared to people with the highest levels.

"This study raises a potentially important public health question: has selenium deficiency been overlooked as a cause of anemia among older adults? This study may represent a first important step toward determining whether selenium deficiency is a potential cause of anemia among older adults," wrote lead author Richard Semba.

Anemia, the most common blood disorder, can affect anyone, but the highest occurrence is in elderly women, women of childbearing age (due to menstruation), children and teenagers. According to Semba and his co-workers, the prevalence of the disorder increases with age.

The researchers studied data on 2,092 adults over the age of 65 taking part in the third National Nutrition Examination Survey, Phase 2 (NHANES III). Blood samples were used to evaluate selenium levels and the incidence of anemia, defined using the World Health Organization (WHO) levels of less than 12 grams of hemoglobin per deciliter of blood (g/dL) for women and 13 g/dL for men.

Almost 13% of the participants were classified as anemic. Average blood levels of selenium were lower in people with anemia than in people without the disorder. Increasing selenium levels was associated with a reduced risk of anemia, according to the researchers.

The researchers concluded: "Low serum selenium is independently associated with anemia among older men and women in the United States."

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63:93-99, 2008

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