The trace mineral selenium improves quality of life and slows the progression of eye problems in people with the autoimmune disorder known as Graves’ disease, a new study says. Italian researchers report that they compared daily selenium use to both a medication called pentoxifylline and a placebo, and found that selenium could benefit people with Graves’ disease with eye involvement, without causing side effects. “Our study demonstrates that patients with mild Graves’ orbitopathy, [who are] usually not given any specific treatment, can benefit from a six-month course of selenium selenite [100 micrograms twice daily], both in terms of amelioration of eye manifestations and improvement in quality of life,” said study author Dr. Claudio Marcocci, a professor of endocrinology at the University of Pisa, Italy.
