Serum Ferritin in Newly Detected Diabetes and Prediabetes

Background: Changes in serum ferritin or iron stores may be associated with abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT). Objective: To see serum ferritin and HbA1c in newly detected prediabetes and diabetes. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study over 200 participants categorized by American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2013 criteria were measured for serum ferritin by using N Latex ferritin and HbA1c by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: AGT had significantly higher age (41.43±1.16 vs. 34.65±1.26, mean ±SEM; p<0.001) and body mass index (BMI, 26.02±0.40 vs. 24.01±0.36 kg/m2; p<0.001) with more frequent family history of diabetes than normal glucose tolerance (NGT, 55.9% vs. 22.5%, p<0.001). Mean and median ferritin were increased in subgroups of AGT [NGT: 88.25±9.2 and 55.54; impaired fasting glucose (IFG): 92.04±12.55 and 102.95, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT): 104.81±13.82 and 88.92; IFG-IGT: 94.37±11.15 and 112.13; NGT but HbA1c 5.7-6.4%: 110.47±15.50 and 103.10; diabetes mellitus (DM): 133.20±12.52 and 121.37µgm/L respectively; p=0.068]. All subgroups of AGT had HbA1c ≥ 5.7% while that for NGT was < 5.7%. Males had higher ferritin than females [(130.38±11.81 vs. 86.71±5.16 µgm/L, p=0.001); for NGT: 126.55±19.02 vs. 64.57± 7.70 µgm/L, p=0.001, IFG-IGT: 116.10±1.26 vs. 90.02±13.03 µgm/L, p= 0.077 and DM: 158.40±25.08 vs. 112.85±8.84 µgm/L, p=0.099]. Ferritin was higher in hypertensive than that in normotensive (111.89±10.98 vs. 96.23±6.53 µgm/L, p=0.058) as well as in obese AGT than that of obese NGT (118.41±10.25 vs. 76.08±10.47 µgm/L, p=0.009) but not in other weight categories. Both systolic and diastolic BP significantly correlated with ferritin in AGT (r=0.176, p=0.065 and r=0.180, p=0.059 respectively) but not in NGT (r=0.061, p=0.570 and r=0.021, p=0.842 respectively). Conclusions: Serum ferritin level is higher in AGT especially if obese as well as in hypertension.