42: Selenium Status and Potential Implications

Selenium Status and Potential Implications in Northern Tasmanian Populations ($44955)

Professor Madeleine Ball and Masters Student Jeff Beckett.

There is a growing concern that selenium deficiency may be a public health issue and that the dietary intake and status of many populations worldwide is declining. There is very little data on the selenium status of the Australian population. Given the increasing range and complexity of the biological roles of selenium and the emerging evidence that it may have important roles in the prevention of cancer and other disorders, data are required to clarify the status of Australians. This is particularly important in Tasmania, the State most likely to have low soil levels, similar to the South Island of New Zealand. This study will use the database of people with Haemochromatosis, their relatives and healthy volunteers to study this possibility. This project should include the use of a “state of the art” assay for determining Selenium status, and will be of national and international interest.