Causal Effect of Selenium Levels on Osteoporosis: A Mendelian Randomization Study

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #selenium #mendelian-randomization-analysis #genome-wide-association-study #reproducibility-of-results

Causal Effect of Selenium Levels on Osteoporosis: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Li et al., 2023 | Nutrients | Meta Analysis

Citation

Li Jinjie, Li Hong, ... Kou Guangning. Causal Effect of Selenium Levels on Osteoporosis: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Nutrients. 2023-Dec-11;15(24). doi:10.3390/nu15245065

Abstract

Prior research has demonstrated equivocal associations between selenium (Se) concentrations and osteoporosis (OP), yielding inconclusive findings. The purpose of the current study was to examine the potential correlation between Se levels and the risk of OP by using the Mendelian randomization (MR) study design. The genetic variants related to Se levels were obtained from a meta-analysis of a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) conducted on toenail Se levels (n = 4162) and blood Se levels (n = 5477). The data summary for OP and bone mineral density (BMD) was obtained by utilizing the GWAS database. To examine the association between Se levels and BMD and OP, we employed three statistical methods: inverse variance weighted, weighted median, and MR-Egger. The reliability of the analysis was verified by sensitivity testing. All three methods of MR analysis revealed that Se levels had no effect on OP risk. In addition, the sensitivity analysis revealed no heterogeneity or pleiotropy, and the significance of the overall effect remained unaffected by single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as determined by the leave-one-out analysis, indicating that our findings are relatively reliable. The results of our study indicate that there is no causal association between Se levels and the risk of OP. However, additional investigation is necessary to ascertain whether there is a potential association between these variables.

Key Findings

However, additional investigation is necessary to ascertain whether there is a potential association between these variables.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 4162
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Selenium
  • Mendelian Randomization Analysis
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Osteoporosis
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Journal Article
  • Vertical: selenium

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09