Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability worldwide. The focus of preventive strategies is on modifiable risk factors such as diet and exercise and the Cochrane Heart Group has produced several reviews of interventions that might help. In January 2013, the work of a team of Cochrane researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK was published, looking at the effects of selenium supplementation. One of the review authors, Saverio Stranges, summarises their findings on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.