Age- and body mass index-dependent relationship between correction of iron deficiency anemia and insulin resistance in non-diabetic premenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
No prospective studies have evaluated the effects of correction of iron deficiency anemia on insulin resistance in non-diabetic premenopausal women. We investigated this relationship in 54 non-diabetic premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia.


METHODS
All patients were treated with oral iron preparations. Insulin resistance was calculated with the Homeostasis Model Assessment formula. All patients were dichotomized by the median for age and BMI to assess how the relationship between iron deficiency anemia and insulin resistance was affected by age and BMI.


RESULTS
Although the fasting glucose levels did not change meaningfully, statistically significant decreases were found in fasting insulin levels following anemia treatment both in the younger age (<40 years) (P=0.040) women and in the low BMI (<27 kg/m2) (P=0.022) subgroups but not in the older age (>or=40 years) and the high BMI (>or=27 kg/m2) subgroups. Post-treatment fasting insulin levels were positively correlated both with BMI (r=0.386, P=0.004) and post-treatment hemoglobin levels (r=0.285, P=0.036). Regression analysis revealed that the factors affecting post-treatment insulin levels were BMI (P=0.001) and post-treatment hemoglobin levels (P=0.030).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that following the correction of iron deficiency anemia, insulin levels and HOMA scores decrease in younger and lean non-diabetic premenopausal women.
Ozdemir
Ali
A
Haydarpasa Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. alemoz2004@yahoo.com
Sevinç
Can
C
Selamet
Umut
U
Kamaci
Berna
B
Atalay
Sacide
S
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000503:physiopathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology*
D007328:Insulin; D005293:Ferritins