Selenium supplement for treatment of geriatric rhinitis

With the aging of population, the incidence of geriatric problems is increasing. However, the diagnosis and treatment of geriatric problems are usually ignored. This study investigated the efficacy of supplemental selenium in patients with geriatric rhinitis (GR). The study was conducted at an academic secondary referral center in a prospective design. Patients were divided into two groups, and they were compared with healthy volunteers. The treatment group, including patients with GR, was given nasal saline wash four times daily and 100 μg of seleno-6 dietary supplements twice daily. The patient control group and the healthy volunteers were given only the nasal saline wash four times daily. Glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels were measured in all participants before and after treatment. In addition, the sino-nasal outcome test-20 and visual analog scale were applied before and after treatment. In the selenium supplement group, the visual analog scale, sino-nasal outcome test-20 scores, and enzyme levels were significantly improved compared with the untreated group. No adverse effects occurred in the selenium supplement group during the study. Supplemental selenium might be effective in the treatment of GR in terms of aging physiology and the oxidative system. However, large-scale randomized studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment.