Anitha Pitchika1, Sabine Schipf2, Matthias Nauck3, Marcus Dörr4, Markus M Lerch5, Stephan B Felix4, Marcello Ricardo Paulista Markus6, Henry Völzke7, Till Ittermann2. 1. Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. Electronic address: anitha.pitchika@uni-greifswald.de. 2. Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 3. Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e.V.), Partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 4. German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e.V.), Partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 5. Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 6. German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e.V.), Partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZD (German Center for Diabetes Research), Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 7. Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e.V.), Partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZD (German Center for Diabetes Research), Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Abstract
AIMS: To assess the role of serum ferritin and transferrin with prevalent and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and whether these associations are independent of inflammatory markers and hepatic enzymes. METHODS: We analyzed data from 3,232 participants aged 20-81 years of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) from Northeast Germany with a median follow-up time of 10.6 years. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Serum ferritin concentrations were associated with a higher prevalence of T2DM (total population OR: 1.16 [95% CI: 1.07, 1.26]; men OR: 1.18 [95% CI: 1.08, 1.30) and MetS (total population OR: 1.27 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.38]; men OR: 1.26 [95% CI: 1.15, 1.38]) in the total population and men independently of inflammatory markers and hepatic enzymes. In longitudinal analyses, baseline ferritin concentrations were associated with a higher risk of incident T2DM in women (HR: 1.38 [95% CI: 1.10, 1.71]), but not in men or in the total population and also with a higher risk of incident MetS (HR: 1.09 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.17]) in the total population. These longitudinal associations attenuated considerably after adjustment for hepatic enzymes but not inflammatory markers. Transferrin was not associated with any of the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a link between ferritin and T2DM and MetS, which might be partially explained by hepatic dysfunction.
AIMS: To assess the role of serum ferritin and transferrin with prevalent and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and whether these associations are independent of inflammatory markers and hepatic enzymes. METHODS: We analyzed data from 3,232 participants aged 20-81 years of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) from Northeast Germany with a median follow-up time of 10.6 years. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Serum ferritin concentrations were associated with a higher prevalence of T2DM (total population OR: 1.16 [95% CI: 1.07, 1.26]; men OR: 1.18 [95% CI: 1.08, 1.30) and MetS (total population OR: 1.27 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.38]; men OR: 1.26 [95% CI: 1.15, 1.38]) in the total population and men independently of inflammatory markers and hepatic enzymes. In longitudinal analyses, baseline ferritin concentrations were associated with a higher risk of incident T2DM in women (HR: 1.38 [95% CI: 1.10, 1.71]), but not in men or in the total population and also with a higher risk of incident MetS (HR: 1.09 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.17]) in the total population. These longitudinal associations attenuated considerably after adjustment for hepatic enzymes but not inflammatory markers. Transferrin was not associated with any of the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a link between ferritin and T2DM and MetS, which might be partially explained by hepatic dysfunction.