Baum et al. The role of selenium in heart disease remains unclear. Selenium deficiency is known to cause heart damage, as in the endemic cardiomyopathies mentioned earlier. The question is whether selenium supplementation can evoke cardioprotective benefits. Free radicals play a clear role in atherogenesis.
Selenium is a potent antioxidant.
In animal studies, selenium deficiency promotes endothelial dysfunction, a type of artery injury that facilitates atherosclerosis and its complications. Selenium also inhibits platelet aggregation, the clumping together of platelets that plays a pivotal role in intra-arterial blood clot formation and, thus, heart attacks and strokes. Finally, selenium acts against heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium, which are known cardiotoxins. Further studies in this regard are now underway. Brain selenium content in patients with Alzheimer dementia is only 60 percent of that seen in dementia-free subjects.