Serum Selenium Concentration is Associated With the Development of Age- Related Cataract

Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between the occurrence of age-related cataract (ARC) and the concentration of serum selenium. Methods: A study group included 95 cataract patients (36 men, 59 women), aged 56-89 years (72.4 ± 7.25), not suffering from other ocular diseases or systemic diseases with proven impact on the eye function or on blood levels of electrolytes. A control group consisted of 187 healthy subjects (71 men, 116 women); mean age-70.9 years old ± 7.36 (range of age: 53-88 years old). Selection matching criteria for the control group were: sex, age (± 3 years) and smoking. Subjects taking any supplements were excluded from the study. Measurement of serum selenium concentration was carried out by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Statistical analysis was performed by Fisher`s exact test. Results: 1) Lower levels of selenium were associated with greater occurrence of cataract, 2) The threshold point of selenium level for an increase of ARC was ~70 μg/l for females and ~73 μg/l for males 3) The optimal selenium level in ARC patients was estimated 75-85 μg/l and >80-85 μg/l for women and men respectively. Conclusions: 1) Concentration of selenium in the blood serum may be a marker of occurrence of age-related cataracts. 2) The low selenium levels may be a risk factor for age-related cataract in the population with low selenium baseline level.