Serum ferritin and C282Y mutation of the hemochromatosis gene as predictors of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis in a community population

Background and Purpose-Serum ferritin and heterozygosity for the C282Y muta tion of the hemochromatosis gene have both been associated with an increase d risk of cardiovascular events. The purpose of the study was to test wheth er either is a risk predictor for asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. Methods-We assessed carotid intima-media wall thickness (IMT) and focal pla que formation by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound, conventional risk facto rs, serum ferritin levels, and the C282Y mutation of the hemochromatosis ge ne in a randomly selected community population of 1098 subjects (545 women and 553 men) aged 27 to 77 years. Results-After adjustment for conventional risk factors, serum ferritin was not associated with carotid mean IMT. Women with ferritin values over the f irst quartile (>34 mug/L) had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.1 (95% CI, 1.3 to 3.4; P=0.0016) for carotid plaque compared with the first quartile. Ferrit in was not associated with carotid plaque in men. Subjects who were heteroz ygous for the C282Y mutation constituted 11.4% of the population, and there was no independent association of this genotype with either carotid IMT or focal plaque formation. Conclusions-We conclude that in our community population, C282Y genotype st atus was not a risk predictor for either carotid mean IMT or plaque formati on. Serum ferritin values in women were independently associated with carot id plaque.