A. Oshaug et al., ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SERUM FERRITIN AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN HEALTHY-YOUNG MEN - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY, European journal of clinical nutrition, 49(6), 1995, pp. 430-438
Objective: This study examines the association between serum ferritin
levels and cardiovascular risk factors. Design: The data were obtained
from a cross-sectional survey designed to assess the nutrition situat
ion, with special reference to cardiovascular risk factors. Subjects a
nd setting: The study population was 337 healthy men, median age 38 ye
ars (range 21-59), working at oil platforms in the North Sea. Results:
The associations between serum ferritin, risk factor levels and anthr
opometric measurements were analysed by age-adjusted partial correlati
ons, step-wise multiple regression, and one-way ANOVA analysis. Body m
ass index and waist-to-thigh ratio were the strongest predictors for s
erum ferritin when controlling for age (P < 0.001). In multiple regres
sion analysis, when anthropometric measurements were excluded, fibrino
gen, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and diastolic blood pr
essure were significant predictors for serum ferritin levels when cont
rolling for age (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in tri
glyceride concentration between those with low stores of iron and thos
e with high stores (P = 0.006). There were consistently higher levels
of total cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen, diastolic and systoli
c blood pressure, except for HDL where it was reversed, in the highest
quartile of serum ferritin levels compared to the lowest. For all the
variables the differences between the quartiles of serum ferritin wer
e significant. Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that
the associations between cardiovascular arteriosclerotic disease and s
erum ferritin are at least partially caused by confounding. Sponsorshi
p: The project was supported by the Norwegian State Oil Company (STATO
IL), Amoco Norway Oil Company and Ross Offshore AS.