Serum ferritin levels associated with increased risk for developing CHD in a low-income urban population.
OBJECTIVE
The present study examined the association of serum ferritin with CHD risk using the Framingham Heart Study's 10-year risk algorithm.


METHODS
Ordinal logistic regression modelling was used to interpret risk. Proportional odds modelling assessed four divisions of ranked CHD risk (4, high; 3, increased; 2, slight; 1, minimal), separately by sex.


METHODS
Baltimore, MD, USA.


METHODS
African-American and white participants (n 1823) from baseline of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study, aged 30-64 years.


RESULTS
For men, there was a 0·5 % increase in risk for every 10-unit rise in serum ferritin (pmol/l). Other significant predictors included increased BMI, white race, unemployment and C-reactive protein ≥9·5 mg/l. For women, there was a 1·5 % [corrected] increase in risk per 10-unit rise in serum ferritin (pmol/l). Other significant predictors included increased BMI, lower education, unemployment and C-reactive protein ≥9·5 mg/l.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum ferritin is a significant predictor of 10-year hard CHD risk for HANDLS study participants, a low-income, urban population. Serum ferritin, independent of elevated C-reactive protein, was associated with increased 10-year CHD risk for HANDLS participants. To our knowledge, these data provide the first evidence of the role of serum ferritin as a risk factor for hard CHD in African-American and white postmenopausal women in the USA. Future research on cardiovascular events from this prospective study may confirm the association.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Surveys Research Group, Beltsville, MD, USA.
Meghan E
ME
Olesnevich
Marie
M
Fanelli Kuczmarski
Marc
M
Mason
Chengshun
C
Fang
Alan B
AB
Zonderman
Michele K
MK
Evans
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins