A deficiency of selenium in your body is a major factor in heart failure and heart attack cases, according to experts. Doctors say selenium – an essential trace element that helps enhance various biological functions like development and support of the immune system also regulates oxidative stress. However, its low intake can impair organ function and cause oxidative stress, which leads to selenium-responsive cardiomyopathy known as Keshan disease.
This illness, which affects more than 2 per cent population of China, is a serious condition that can lead to cardiovascular diseases including stroke, cancer, or even death if proper treatment is not given. How does selenium deficiency lead to Keshan disease? According to experts, Keshan disease is most common in regions with low amounts of selenium in the soil and, so, in the food that grows in it, further supports this theory. However, many experts believe a selenium deficiency alone may not be enough to cause Keshan disease.
It could, however, contribute to the presence and mutation of the coxsackievirus B3, a human pathogen or virus that researchers have linked to acute heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia, especially in the absence of selenium. According to a study, more than 80 per cent of those with chronic Keshan disease and 83 per cent of those with acute Keshan disease also had a mutated form of CVB3. This indicates that people with the virus and a selenium deficiency were more likely to develop the condition.
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