Search resultsSex, age, geographical location, smoking, and alcohol consumption influence serum selenium concentrations in the USA: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994
Title
Sex, age, geographical location, smoking, and alcohol consumption influence serum selenium concentrations in the USA: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2003
Authors
Journal
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology
Volume
17
Issue
1
Pagination
13 - 18
Date published
2003
ISBN
0946672X (ISSN)
Keywords
Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, aging, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, article, cardiovascular risk, catalysis, cigarette smoking, cotinine, deiodination, dietary intake, Female, geographic distribution, geography, Health Surveys, human, Humans, major clinical study, male, Middle Aged, NHANES III, nutrition, nutritional status, oxidation reduction reaction, priority journal, Risk Factors, sampling, selenium, Serum cotinine, Serum selenium, Sex Factors, sex ratio, smoking, thyroid hormone metabolism
Abstract
Selenium has been reported to reduce the risk for heart diseases and cancer. We examined the association of sex, age, geographical location, serum cotinine concentrations, a measure of smoking intensity, and alcohol consumption with serum selenium concentrations in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988-1994. Study sample consisted of 14,619 apparently healthy individuals (male: 7,102; female: 7,517) aged 14 to >90 years. Sex, age, geographical location, serum cotinine concentrations, and alcohol consumption significantly influenced serum selenium concentrations (P < 0.05). The mean (± standard error) serum selenium concentration in men (124.5 ± 0.20 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in women (122.0 ± 0.20 ng/mL) (P < 0.0001). Men in the 31-50 y age group had the highest mean serum selenium concentration. In the same age group, women had the lowest mean serum selenium concentration. In both sexes, participants living in the Midwest and West had significantly higher serum selenium concentrations than those living in South and Northeast geographical locations. Serum cotinine was negatively associated with serum selenium concentrations in both men (β = -0.0108; P < 0.0001 for trend) and women (β = -0.0097; P < 0.0001 for trend). Alcohol consumption is positively associated with serum selenium in women (β = 0.0462; P = 0.0044 for trend) but not in men (β = 0.0015; P = 0.8496 for trend). Although, sex, age, geographical location, smoking, and alcohol intake influenced serum selenium concentrations, clinically low serum selenium concentrations are not common in the USA.