Does serum ferritin correlate with coronary angiography findings?
BACKGROUND
A number of epidemiological studies have described a positive relationship between serum ferritin levels and coronary heart disease. In this prospective study, we evaluated the association between serum ferritin levels and the angiographic extent of coronary atherosclerosis.


METHODS
We studied 307 consecutive patients (60.9% male, age 60.1+/-11.0 years) referred for diagnostic coronary angiography. Risk factors for coronary artery disease, lipids and ferritin levels, as well clinical characteristics were recorded from all patients. Two experienced cardiologists blinded for clinical and laboratory data reviewed the cinefilms. Angiographic significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was defined as any more than a 50% diameter stenosis.


RESULTS
From the 307 patients, 196 (63.8%) were found to have angiographic significant CAD. The presence of significant CAD was associated with ferritin levels (P=0.015) as well as patient age (P<0.001), male sex (P<0.001), smoking (P<0.002), and cholesterol levels (P=0.028). By multivariate analysis, however, ferritin level was not an independent risk factor for CAD (P=0.27), while the association with all the other factors remained significant.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients referred for coronary angiography no independent relationship was found between angiographic significant coronary artery disease and serum ferritin levels.
Manfroi
W C
WC
Division of Cardiology, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brazil. manfroi@orion.ufrgs.br
Zago
A J
AJ
Caramori
P R
PR
Cruz
R
R
Oliveira
J
J
Kirschnick
L S
LS
Ordovás
K
K
Candiago
R H
RH
de Souza
J
J
Ribeiro
L W
LW
Leitão
C
C
Brizolara
M L
ML
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D005293:Ferritins