SERUM FERRITIN CONCENTRATIONS IN AN IMPAIRED FASTING GLUCOSE POPULATION an‎d THEIR NORMAL CONTROL GROUP

Some recent studies have revealed the relationship among excess ferritin, coronary heart disease, and insulin resistance. This study was designed to assess the association between serum ferritin concentration and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). A total of 187 people including 91 IFG subjects and 96 normal glucose subjects were enrolled. The cohorts were well matched for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). BMI and blood pressure of the participants were measured and serum cholesterol, triglyceride and ferritin were evaluated. All the data were analyzed by t test, x² test and analysis of variance. Serum ferritin was higher in the IFG cohort (85.5 ± 6.6 μg/l vs. 49.4 ± 3.7 μg/l; P, 0.001). A positive correlation was found between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and serum ferritin in this study (r, 0.29; P, 0.001). Using multiple regression analysis, we found an association between serum ferritin and BMI (0.06; P, 0.4), blood pressure (0.15; P, 0.01), FPG (0.29; P, 0.001), triglyceride (0.08; P, 0.01) and cholesterol (0.07; P, 0.03). The odd’s ratio for the association of IFG in male subjects with the high serum ferritin level was 8.3 (CI 95%, 1.211.9; P, 0.01) and for females was 3.06 (C.I 95%, 0.58-15; P, 0.1). Our study implying that hyperferritinemia occurs before elevation of plasma glucose concentration more than 126 mg/dl. If prospective and interventional studies confirm an etiologic role of iron overload in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, reduced dietary iron intake would appear to be a logical consequence.