Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Selenium supplementation group (n = 46) | Controls (n = 54) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biomarkers | |||
| Serum selenium, μg/L | 49.8 ± 10.8 | 48.1 ± 10.6 | 0.435 |
| Serum GPX, U/L | 326.0 ± 121.9 | 362.0 ± 144.6 | 0.323 |
| Serum GPX > 470 U/L | 3 (6.5%) | 7 (13.0%) | 0.466 |
| Demographic and clinical characteristics | |||
| Age, years | 29.6 ± 7.3 | 28.9 ± 8.2 | 0.664 |
| Age < 20 years | 5 (10.9%) | 11 (20.4%) | 0.277 |
| Age ≥ 35 years | 7 (15.2%) | 11 (20.4%) | 0.536 |
| Hausa/Fulani ethnicity | 43 (93.5%) | 45 (83.3%) | 0.137 |
| Unemployment | 32 (69.6%) | 46 (85.2%) | 0.089 |
| No formal education | 14 (30.4%) | 25 (46.3%) | 0.150 |
| Multiparty | 31 (67.4%) | 37 (68.5%) | 0.904 |
| History of pre-eclampsia | 13 (28.3%) | 10 (18.5%) | 0.249 |
| History of twins | 9 (19.6%) | 10 (18.5%) | 0.894 |
| History of stroke | 3 (6.5%) | 0 | 0.094 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 19.8 ± 6.4 | 20.6 ± 4.8 | 0.466 |
| Underweight | 17 (37.0%) | 13 (24.1%) | 0.161 |
| Obesity | 1 (2.2%) | 1 (1.9%) | 1.000 |
| NYHA class | 0.105 | ||
| I | 15 (32.6%) | 10 (18.5%) | |
| II | 19 (41.3%) | 26 (48.1%) | |
| III | 7 (15.2%) | 12 (22.2%) | |
| IV | 4 (8.7%) | 5 (9.3%) | |
| Heart rate/min | 96 ± 17 | 101 ± 27 | 0.055 |
| Systolic BP, mmHg | 108 ± 17 | 111 ± 17 | 0.291 |
| Diastolic BP, mmHg | 74 ± 12 | 77 ± 14 | 0.203 |
| Hypertension | 3 (6.5%) | 6 (11.1%) | 0.727 |
| Hypotension | 19 (41.3%) | 20 (37.0%) | 0.818 |
| Heart failure treatments | |||
| Loop diuretics | 39 (84.8%) | 45 (83.3%) | 0.804 |
| ACEI or ARB | 11 (23.9%) | 15 (27.8%) | 0.661 |
| Beta-blockers | 9 (19.6%) | 5 (9.3%) | 0.139 |
| Spironolactone | 42 (91.3%) | 48 (88.9%) | 0.750 |
| Digoxin | 33 (71.7%) | 36 (66.7%) | 0.559 |
| Serum creatinine, μmol/L | 73.9 ± 34.2 | 62.7 ± 48.4 | 0.210 |
| Plasma hemoglobin, g/dl | 11.8 ± 3.4 | 11.3 ± 1.5 | 0.409 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 0 | 1 (1.9%) | 1.000 |
| Echocardiography | |||
| LA dimension, mm | 45.1 ± 6.5 | 45.7 ± 5.8 | 0.609 |
| LVEDD, mm | 62.1 ± 7.2 | 64.0 ± 7.8 | 0.212 |
| LVEF, % | 30.9 ± 7.1 | 28.8 ± 8.0 | 0.186 |
| RV basal diameter, mm | 42.7 ± 7.9 | 42.0 ± 6.9 | 0.655 |
| TAPSE, mm | 14.1 ± 3.7 | 14.3 ± 2.7 | 0.756 |
| PASP, mmHg | 42.8 ± 19.0 | 44.0 ± 18.2 | 0.764 |
| Intracardiac thrombus | 2 (4.3%) | 2 (3.7%) | 0.416 |
n, number of patients; GPX, glutathione peroxidase; NYHA, New York Heart Association; BP, blood pressure; ACEI, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blockers; LA, left atrium; LVEDD, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension; LVEF, LV ejection fraction; RV, right ventricle; TAPSE, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion; PASP, pulmonary artery systolic pressure; *, p value statistically significant. All values were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, or as proportions