title: Iron deficiency in obese postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates whether the iron deficiency suggested in children and adolescents with overweight is also present with increasing age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 50 consecutive postmenopausal nondiabetic white women with a BMI > or =30 kg/m(2) and 50 non-obese seemingly healthy women as a control group. In addition to the traditional indices of iron status, we measured the soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels, a sensitive and highly quantitative indicator of early iron deficiency not influenced by the acute phase response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obese women have higher serum sTfR levels than control subjects [1.38 (range, 0.89 to 2.39) vs. 1.16 mg/dL (range, 0.69 to 2.03 mg/dL); p < 0.001]. However, no difference in ferritin concentration was observed between the groups [70.50 (range, 18 to 219) vs. 69.50 ng/mL (range, 24 to 270 ng/mL); p = not significant]. A positive correlation between BMI and sTfR concentration was detected. On multiple regression analyses, BMI (positively) and ferritin (inversely) were independent predictors accounting for sTfR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that a moderate degree of iron deficiency is also present among adult women with obesity. The determination of sTfR is useful in the evaluation of iron status in this condition. Further studies with a greater number of patients are required to investigate the relationship between tissue iron concentrations and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Obesity Research Unit, Endocrinology Division, Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. alecube@vhebron.net
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lecube
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.forename: Eladio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Losada
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simó
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mesa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000166:cytology; D012995:Solubility; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron