Beard calcium concentration as a marker for coronary heart disease as affected by supplementation with micronutrients including selenium

Abstract

Hair calcium concentration is biologically regulated and inversely correlated to the concentration in the aorta. Populations generally divide into high and low hair calcium groups which differ significantly from each other. It has been found that about 90% of people who suffer an acute myocardial infraction belong to the low hair calcium group. It follows that raising a person's calcium status from the low to the high group should decrease their risk of coronary heart disease. A trial was set up with four groups of 12 people, randomly allocated to one of the following treatments: placebo; vitamin D; antioxidants; and antioxidants plus vitamin D. Beard samples were collected for two months prior to four months of supplementation and for two months afterwards. Blood samples were collected at the end of the supplementation period. All treatments significantly lowered plasma calcium concentrations but did not significantly affect beard calcium concentrations due, primarily, to some large individual fluctuations. Within the limitations of the experiment the combined treatment was the most effective as it was the only one to raise beard calcium levels for the duration of the supplementation period. A higher rate of vitamin D supplementation [i.e., > 50% recommended daily allowance (RDA)] might have established clear differences but larger group sizes would also have been helpful. Of the unsupplemented subjects 80% had plasma selenium concentrations of <90 µg l^–1 in contrast to only 10% of supplemented ones. This provides further evidence of the inadequate provision of selenium in the Scottish diet and should be a cause for concern particularly as 15% of unsupplemented subjects had concentrations of <55 µg l^–1; a level which has been associated previously with an enhanced risk of coronary heart disease.