Alternative Names & Classifications:
Selenium Deficiency (CLINICAL)
Description
Keshan disease is a localized congestive cardiomyopathy named after a county in China where the soil is exceptionally deficient in selenium. Selenium is a critical component of glutathione peroxidase, a major cellular antioxidant enzyme. Without it, the heart muscle becomes highly vulnerable to oxidative damage and targeted viral infections (like Coxsackievirus), leading to rapid myocardial necrosis.