Association of low plasma selenium concentrations with poor muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults: the InCHIANTI Study.
BACKGROUND
Although selenium plays an important role in muscle function, the relation between circulating selenium and muscle strength in elderly adults has not been characterized.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to examine the hypothesis that low plasma selenium is associated with poor muscle strength in older adults.


METHODS
We measured plasma selenium and hip, grip, and knee strength in a cross-sectional study of 891 men and women aged >or=65 y from the Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) Study, a population-based cohort study in Tuscany (Italy). Poor muscle strength was defined as the lowest quartile of hip flexion, grip, and knee extension strength.


RESULTS
Overall, mean (+/-SD) plasma selenium was 0.95 +/- 0.15 mumol/L. After adjustment for age, sex, education, total energy intake, body mass index, and chronic disease, participants in the lowest versus the highest quartile of plasma selenium were at higher risk of poor hip strength [odds ratio (OR): 1.69; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.83; P = 0.04, P for linear trend = 0.04], knee strength (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.19; P = 0.009, P for linear trend = 0.01), and grip strength (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.19, 3.16; P = 0.008, P for linear trend = 0.08).


CONCLUSIONS
Low plasma selenium is independently associated with poor skeletal muscle strength in community-dwelling older adults in Tuscany.
Lauretani
Fulvio
F
Tuscany Regional Agency, Florence, Italy.
Semba
Richard D
RD
Bandinelli
Stefania
S
Ray
Amanda L
AL
Guralnik
Jack M
JM
Ferrucci
Luigi
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*
D012643:Selenium