Relationships of Serum Selenium Concentration to Cholesterol Level and Fatty Acid Composition in Japanese Males and Greenland Natives

Abstract

The Japanese and Greenland natives have been reported to have lower mortality rates of ischemic heart disease (IHD) compared with Scandinavians and North Americans. However, little is known about whether selenium (Se) serves as a preventive factor of IHD in the Japanese and Greenland natives. In this study, we examined the relationships of serum Se concentration to cholesterol level and fatty acid composition in 232 Japanese males and Greenland natives (53 males and 38 females) by multiple regression analysis with age and body weight as independent variables. Total cholesterol level was a common increasing factor for serum Se concentration in Japanese males and Greenland native males, whereas fatty acid composition did not show consistent relation to serum Se level.