Low blood selenium concentrations in schizophrenic patients on clozapine

Abstract

Selenium is an essential antioxidant. Its deficiency has been implicated in myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Low selenium concentrations in clozapine-treated patients may be important in the pathogenesis of life threatening cardiac side-effects associated with clozapine. Further clinical studies are being conducted to explore this important clinical observation and its therapeutic implications.