title: Iron stores and HFE genotypes are not related to increased risk of ischemic stroke. A prospective nested case-referent study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High iron levels can increase the formation of noxious oxygen radicals, which are thought to contribute to cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this prospective study was to determine if iron status and HFE genotypes constitute risk factors for stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  First-ever stroke cases (231 ischemic and 42 hemorrhagic) and matched double referents from the population-based Northern Sweden cohorts were studied in a nested case-referent setting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For total iron binding capacity, an increased risk of ischemic stroke was seen in the highest quartile (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.14-2.83; p for trend 0.012). The highest quartile of transferrin iron saturation showed a decreased risk of ischemic stroke in men (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.22-0.87; p for trend 0.028), but not in women. There was an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in the second (OR 4.07; 95% CI 1.09-15.20) and third quartile (OR 4.22; 95% CI 1.08-16.42) of ferritin. Neither quartiles of plasma iron concentrations nor the HFE C282Y and H63D genotypes were associated with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iron stores were not positively related to increased risk of ischemic stroke. Furthermore, HFE genotypes did not influence the risk of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
authors: Clinical Chemistry, Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. kim.ekblom@medbio.umu.se
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Ekblom
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Hultdin
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Stegmayr
authors: Ingegerd
authors: I
authors: Johansson
authors: Bethany
authors: B
authors: Van Guelpen
authors: Goran
authors: G
authors: Hallmans
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Weinehall
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Johansson
authors: Per-Gunnar
authors: PG
authors: Wiklund
authors: Stefan L
authors: SL
authors: Marklund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006306:Health Surveys; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron