With the recent concerns regard micronutrient deficiencies (see links below), I was intrigued with a recent article on Keshan Disease and how it was determined that the cause was selenium deficiency (NEJM 2014; 370: 1756-60).

Here’s the background:  “In 1958, Muth and colleagues demonstrated that the addition of selenium to the diet provides protection against the development of white muscle disease in sheep” (Science 1958; 128: 1090).  Prior to this, in 1935, there had been “an outbreak of rapidly progressive and fatal cardiomyopathy” in Keshan (northeastern China).  So, when the disease reappeared in the 1960s in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in southwestern China, at autopsy, heart tissue showed myocardial pallor.  “For this reason, Zheng concluded in 1962 that there were morphologic similarities between Keshan disease and white muscle disease.”  Subsequently, “oral selenium supplementation…virtually eliminated Keshan disease in areas where it was endemic.”

The referenced NEJM article goes on to discuss the mechanisms of action of selenium and its important role in preventing oxidant stress and injury through many selenoproteins.

Related Blog Posts:

• Drug Shortages and Selenium Deficiency | gutsandgrowth
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• Critical drug shortages in U.S. | gutsandgrowth
• TPN Drug Shortages -A Useful Reference | gutsandgrowth