title: Ferritin is independently associated with the presence of coronary artery calcium in 12,033 men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ferritin concentrations are often increased in patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus, but few reports have examined the associations between ferritin and atherosclerosis. We investigated whether any relationship between ferritin and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) >0 (as a marker of atherosclerosis) was independent of potential confounders, such as iron-binding capacity (transferrin), low-grade inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were analyzed from a South Korean occupational cohort of 12 033 men who underwent a cardiac computed tomography estimation of CACS and measurements of multiple cardiovascular risk factors. One-thousand three- hundred-fifteen of 12 033 (11.2%) subjects had a CACS >0. For people with a CACS >0, median (interquartile range) ferritin concentration was 196.8 (136.3-291.9) compared with 182.2 (128.1-253.6) in people with a CACS=0; P<0.001. In the highest ferritin quartile, 14.7% (442/3008) of subjects had a CACS >0 compared with 9.7% (292/3010) in the lowest quartile (P<0.0001). With increasing ferritin quartiles, there were also higher proportions of people with diabetes mellitus (P<0.0001), hypertension (P<0.0001), coronary heart disease (P=0.003), and a Framingham Risk Score >10% (P<0.0001). In logistic regression modeling with CACS >0 as the outcome, ferritin but not transferrin was independently associated with CACS >0 (odds ratio for highest quartile versus lowest quartile, 1.66 [95% CI, 1.3-1.98]; P=0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased ferritin concentrations are associated with the presence of a marker of early coronary artery atherosclerosis, independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors including Framingham risk score, transferrin, preexisting vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome factors, and low-grade inflammation.
authors: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. kcmd.sung@samsung.com
authors: Ki-Chul
authors: KC
authors: Sung
authors: Seok-Min
authors: SM
authors: Kang
authors: Eun-Joo
authors: EJ
authors: Cho
authors: Jeong Bae
authors: JB
authors: Park
authors: Sarah H
authors: SH
authors: Wild
authors: Christopher D
authors: CD
authors: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005293:Ferritins; D002118:Calcium