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Meta-Analysis
. 2018 Dec 5;10(12):1924.
doi: 10.3390/nu10121924.

Selenium and Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Review

Lindsay N Kohler  1   2 , Janet Foote  3 , Connor P Kelley  4 , Ana Florea  5   6 , Colleen Shelly  7 , H-H Sherry Chow  8 , Paul Hsu  9   10 , Ken Batai  11 , Nathan Ellis  12 , Kathylynn Saboda  13 , Peter Lance  14   15 , Elizabeth T Jacobs  16   17
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Selenium and Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Review

Lindsay N Kohler et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Several studies have investigated the potential role of selenium (Se) in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with disparate findings. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the evidence of any association between Se and T2D. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Approach (PRISMA). Sixteen studies from 15 papers met inclusion criteria defined for this review. Of the 13 observational studies included, 8 demonstrated a statistically significant positive association between concentrations of Se and odds for T2D, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) ranging from 1.52 (1.01⁻2.28) to 7.64 (3.34⁻17.46), and a summary odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) of 2.03 (1.51⁻2.72). In contrast, among randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of Se, a higher risk of T2D was not observed for those who received Se compared to a placebo (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.95⁻1.47). Taken together, the results for the relationship between Se and T2D differ between observational studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs). It remains unclear whether these differences are the result of uncontrolled confounding in the observational studies, or whether there is a modest effect of Se on the risk for T2D that may vary by duration of exposure. Further investigations on the effects of Se on glucose metabolism are needed.

Keywords: glucose; insulin resistance; review; selenium; selenium supplementation; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Manuscript selection flowchart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Odds ratios (95% CIs) and summary statistics for the observational studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Odds ratios (95% CIs) and summary statistics for randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot for publication bias.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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