title: Serum ferritin level is higher in male adolescents with obesity: results from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous reports show an association between high serum ferritin levels and metabolic syndrome (MS) in adults. In adolescents, little information is available with obesity and serum ferritin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (K-NHANES) conducted during 2010 by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. A total of 849 subjects aged 10-18 years participated in the 2010 survey. A body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile for age and sex or a BMI ≥25 was used to diagnose as obesity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The weighted prevalence of obesity was 13.4% (62/462) in male and 8.5% (33/387) in female. We observed significantly higher serum ferritin in male than in female (mean±standard error [SE], 50.5±2.3 µU/L vs. 30.6±1.3 µU/L; P<0.0001). In male, serum ferritin is positively correlated with age (P<0.0001). White blood cell (WBC) count, serum fasting blood sugar, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and ferritin levels were higher and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were lower in the obesity than in the normal group. In female adolescents, WBC count, TG, insulin, and HOMA-IR were higher and HDL were lower in the obesity than in the normal group. In male, serum ferritin levels showed positive association with obesity (β=21.196, P=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum ferritin levels appear to be associated with obesity in Korean male adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In Ah
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Kyoung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Coordinating Center of Catholic Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Soon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: So Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Kyu
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Suh
keywords: Adolescent; Ferritins; Korean; Male; Obesity