title: Serum ferritin levels are associated with carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese postmenopausal women: the Shanghai Changfeng Study.
abstract: Postmenopausal women are at increased risk of CVD: the increased serum ferritin level may be involved in the pathogenesis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship of ferritin and carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. A total of 1178 postmenopausal women (mean age, 60·8 years) were enrolled from the Changfeng Study. A standard interview, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analyses were performed for each participant. Bilateral CIMT (carotid intima-media thickness) were measured using ultrasonography, and the presence of carotid plaques was assessed. Serum ferritin was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The results showed that serum ferritin was 181·9 (sd 65·8) ng/ml in the postmenopausal women. Multivariate, linear, stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that age (standardised β = 0·233, P< 0·001), alanine transaminase (standardised β = 0·194, P< 0·001), log homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (standardised β = 0·181, P< 0·001), TAG (standardised β = 0·083, P= 0·003), Hb (standardised β = 0·080, P= 0·004) and PPG (2-h glucose levels following a 75-g oral glucose challenge) (standardised β = 0·079, P= 0·004) were independently associated with serum ferritin. Compared with the ferritin level of subjects in the first quartile, that in the fourth quartile had greater CIMT, and higher prevalence of carotid plaque. After adjusting for conventional CVD risk factors, Hb, leucocytes, log urine albumin:creatinine ratio and liver function, the ferritin level of postmenopausal women in the fourth quartile had a 1·587-fold increased risk of carotid plaques relative to those in the lowest quartile. In conclusion, these results suggest that serum ferritin is independently and positively associated with carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women and that ferritin may be implicated in atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huandong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wanyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xuejuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics,College of Public Health, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Naiqing
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai20032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai20032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Boshen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism,Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D044466:Asian People; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Carotid atherosclerosis; Carotid intima–media thickness; Carotid plaques; Ferritin