Association of serum selenium with MASLD and liver fibrosis: A cross-sectional study
2024

Selenium Levels and Liver Health

Sample size: 6715 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Guo Wenying, Weng Ting, Song Yufei

Primary Institution: Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University

Hypothesis

Is there a link between serum selenium levels and the occurrence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and liver fibrosis?

Conclusion

Higher serum selenium levels are associated with an increased prevalence of MASLD and a reduced risk of liver fibrosis.

Supporting Evidence

  • Elevated serum selenium levels were positively correlated with liver steatosis as measured by CAP.
  • Higher serum selenium concentrations were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of MASLD.
  • An inverse relationship was observed between serum selenium levels and liver fibrosis.

Takeaway

This study found that having more selenium in your body might mean you're more likely to have a certain liver condition, but it could also help protect against liver damage.

Methodology

The study used data from NHANES 2017-2020 and performed multivariable analyses to assess the relationship between serum selenium levels and liver conditions.

Potential Biases

Potential confounding factors may still affect the observed associations.

Limitations

The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and self-reported lifestyle factors may introduce bias.

Participant Demographics

Participants were from the NHANES dataset, with exclusions for incomplete data and specific health conditions.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.006

Confidence Interval

(0.023, 0.180)

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0314780

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