The Study
Challenges and perspectives of selenium supplementation in Graves’ disease and orbitopathy
This study looked at lots of smaller experiments where people took selenium pills and saw if it helped their thyroid. It found that sometimes it helped lower some blood numbers, but not always — and we don’t know why it worked sometimes and not others. It doesn’t prove selenium fixes the disease, just that it might help a little in some cases.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Some studies suggest taking selenium pills along with regular thyroid medicine might help the thyroid calm down faster and ease mild eye swelling, but it doesn't seem to stop the disease from coming back.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 539 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The hormone changes are small and temporary; eye improvement is only seen in very mild cases and hasn't been confirmed by other studies.
- 2At 6 months, selenium was linked to lower thyroid hormones and higher TSH; eye symptoms improved in one small study of mild cases; no difference in relapse rates after treatment.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Hormones (Athens, Greece)
Year
2019
Authors
T. Bednarczuk, L. Schomburg
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking selenium supplements is associated with lower levels of antibodies that attack the thyroid in people diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid disease.
In patients with mild, active Graves' orbitopathy lasting less than seven months, selenium supplementation may be linked to better quality of life and fewer eye symptoms, but these findings are based on one study and have not been confirmed by others.
Taking selenium supplements after standard treatment for Graves' disease does not reliably lead to better long-term remission, and blood levels of selenium do not predict whether the disease will return.
Taking selenium supplements does not lead to better quality of life for people with Graves' hyperthyroidism who do not have eye symptoms, as studies show no meaningful difference in mood or self-reported symptoms compared to taking a placebo.
It is unclear whether selenium supplements help treat Graves' disease because studies have varied widely in how they gave selenium, did not measure patients' initial selenium levels, and used lab tests instead of actual health outcomes like disease remission.
In people with Graves' disease taking antithyroid medications, adding selenium may lead to faster normalization of thyroid hormone levels at six months, but this effect does not last until nine months and differs depending on the type and amount of selenium used.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.