[Serum ferritin and risk of the metabolic syndrome in some Korean rural residents].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between serum ferritin and the metabolic syndrome (MS).


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,444 adults over age 40 and under age 70 that lived in a rural area and participated in a survey conducted as part of the Korean Rural Genomic Cohort Study (KRGCS). The MS was defined as the presence of at least three of the followings: elevated blood pressure, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated serum triglycerides, elevated plasma glucose, or abdominal obesity. After adjustment for age, alcohol intake, menopausal status, body mass index (BMI), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), odds ratios (ORs) for the prevalence of the MS by sex were calculated for quartiles of serum ferritin using logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
The MS was more common in those persons with the highest levels of serum ferritin, compared to persons with the lowest levels, in men (37.1% vs. 22.4%, p=0.006) and women (58.8% vs. 34.8, p<0.001). In both sexes, the greater the number of MS components presents, the greater the serum ferritin levels. After adjustment for age, alcohol intake, and menopausal status, the OR for metabolic syndrome, comparing the fourth quartile of ferritin with the first quartile, was 2.21 (95% confidence interval; CI=1.26-3.87; p-trend=0.024) in men and 2.10 (95% CI=1.40-3.17; p-trend=0.001) in women. However, after further adjustment for BMI, hs-CRP, and ALT, the ORs were statistically attenuated in both sexes.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderately elevated serum ferritin levels were not independently associated with the prevalence of the MS after adjusting for other risk factors. Further studies are needed to obtain evidence concerning the association between serum ferritin levels and the MS.
Ryu
So Yeon
SY
Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University College of Medicine, Korea. canrsy@chosun.ac.kr
Kim
Ki Soon
KS
Park
Jong
J
Kang
Myeng Guen
MG
Han
Mi Ah
MA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D005293:Ferritins