Factors associated with serum ferritin levels and iron excess: results from the EPIC-EurGast study

Abstract

Purpose: Excess iron is involved in the development of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. We aimed to describe the prevalence of excess iron and its determinants in healthy European adults.Methods: Sociodemographic, lifestyle, iron status, dietary information, and HFE genotyping were obtained from controls from the nested case control study EPIC-EurGast study. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was measured to address possible systemic inflammation. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to assess iron status and its determinants.Results: Out of the 828 participants (median age: 58.7 years), 43% were females. Median serum ferritin and prevalence of excess iron were 143.7µg/L and 35.2% in males, respectively, and 77µg/L and 20% in females, both increasing with latitude across Europe. Prevalence of HFE C282Y mutation was significantly higher in Northern and Central Europe (~11%) than in the South (5%). Overweight/obesity, age, and daily alcohol and heme iron intake were independent determinants for iron status, with sex differences, even after excluding participants with hsCRP>5mg/L. Obese males showed a greater consumption of alcohol, total and red meat, and heme iron, compared with those normal weight. Conclusion:Obesity, higher alcohol and heme iron consumption were the main risk factors for excess iron in males while only age was associated with iron overload in females. Weight control and promoting healthy lifestyle may help prevent iron overload, especially in obese people. Further research is needed to clarify determinants of excess iron in the healthy adult population, helping to reduce the associated comorbidities.

Serum ferritin level and associated factors among uncontrolled adult type II diabetic follow-up patients at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Comparative based cross-sectional study

“…In our study, female T2DM patients were 0.16 times less likely to increase serum ferritin level as compared to males (AOR = 0.16, 95% CI (0.05-0.57), p = 0.004). Our nding was consistent with other studies which showed that being male could be a risk factor for iron overload [57,58]. This might be due to the nature of females that may lose iron during the menstrual period as the menstrual cycle affects the iron homeostasis pathway [59].…”

Cognitive Impairment in Thalassemia and Associated Factors

“…No iron chelation therapy was identified as a significant risk factor of developing cognitive impairment, which is consistent with the finding of an increased risk of cognitive impairment in patients with iron overload status. Serum ferritin, however, does not correlate with cognitive functions in some studies [10, 18] since serum ferritin depended on several factors that might not be measured in the earlier reports such as body mass index, menopausal status, and intake of vitamin C, calcium, and alcohol [28, 29].…”

The prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus among pregnant women with varied hemoglobin concentrations and in relation to the use of Iron Supplemental Therapy

“…The normal iron content in adults is about 60 g/dl; however, iron overload has deleterious effects and is involved in the development of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions (7) , and can affect the normal functioning of the innate and adaptive immune responses (8) , promote the generation of reactive oxygen species and cell oxidative stress (9) and brain iron accumulation causes neurodegenerative diseases (10) .…”