title: Serum ferritin, iron status and plasma ascorbic acid in 40- to 49-year-old males in the Faroe Islands.
abstract: Iron status (haemoglobin, S-ferritin, S-iron, S-transferrin, and transferrin saturation) was evaluated in an epidemiological survey comprising a representative sample of 118 (4%) of the 40- to 49-year-old Faroese male population. All had normal haemoglobin, (mean +/- SD 153 +/- 9 g/l; 9.5 +/- 0.6 mmol/l). Median S-ferritin was 151 micrograms/l, 5-95 percentile 46-588 micrograms/l, observed range 33-1166 micrograms/l. None had depleted iron stores (S-ferritin less than or equal to 20 micrograms/l), 2.5% had 'small' iron stores (S-ferritin 21-40 micrograms/l), 80.5% had 'normal' iron stores (S-ferritin 41-300 micrograms/l) and 17% had 'increased' iron stores (S-ferritin greater than 300 micrograms/l). Transferrin saturation values were greater than 16% in all males; high values greater than 50% were found in 9.3%, and the combination of high transferrin saturation and S-ferritin greater than 300 micrograms/l was found in 3.4% of the males. Median P-ascorbic acid was 26 mumol/l, 5-95 percentile 7-67 mumol/l; significantly higher in subjects taking vitamin supplements (n = 35, median 50 mumol/l) than in those not taking supplements (n = 81, median 23 mumol/l) (p less than 0.0001). There was no correlation between P-ascorbic acid and iron status markers. The results indicate a high frequency of ample iron reserves in the Faroese male population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mathiassen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D003718:Denmark; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D001205:Ascorbic Acid