Body Iron Stores Are Associated With Serum Insulin and Blood Glucose Concentrations: Population study in 1,013 eastern Finnish men
- Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, MD,
- Kristiina Nyyssönen, MSC,
- Riitita Salonen, MD, PHD,
- Arja Tervahauta, PHD,
- Heikki Korpela, MD, PHD,
- Timo Lakka, MD, PHD,
- George A Kaplan, PHD and
- Jukka T Salonen, MD, PHD, MSCPH
- Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Community Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio Kuopio, Finland
- Human Population Laboratory, California Department of Health Services Berkeley, California
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jukka T. Salonen, MD, PhD, MScPH, University of Kuopio, PO. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. E-mail: salonen{at}reivi.uku.fi
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study if there is an association between mildly elevated body iron and glucose homeostasis indexes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A cross-sectional population study was conducted in 1,013 middle-aged men, and an association of serum ferritin with concentrations of serum insulin, blood glucose, and serum fructosamine was tested.
RESULTS The mean concentration of fasting serum insulin was 21.6% higher (95% CI 7.3–37.9%, P < 0.001) in the 5th quintile of serum ferritin compared with the 1st quintile. The elevation in blood glucose was 6.1% (95% CI 2.3–9.9%, P < 0.001) and in serum fructosamine 3.9% (1.5–6.9%, P < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS Mildly elevated body iron stores are associated with statistically significant elevations in glucose homeostasis indexes.
- Received April 16, 1996.
- Revision received October 9, 1996.
- Accepted October 9, 1996.
- Copyright © 1997 by the American Diabetes Association
