Association of serum ferritin levels with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between serum ferritin levels and the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in postmenopausal women.

Methods: Two hundred and forty-one postmenopausal women who participated in a heath examination program were enrolled in the present study. Serum ferritin tertiles were categorized as follows: T1, ≤46.4 ng/ml; T2, 46.5–76.1 ng/ml; and T3, ≥76.2 ng/ml. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for NAFLD were calculated after adjusting for confounding variables across serum ferritin tertiles using multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results: The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 41.4% and was significantly increased in accordance with the serum ferritin tertiles as follows: 30.0% for T1, 40.7% for T2, and 54.3% for T3, respectively. As compared with the lowest tertile, the OR (95% CI) for NAFLD in the highest tertile was 2.69 (1.16–5.28) after adjusting for age, body mass index, regular exercise, mean arterial pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and leukocyte count.

Conclusion: The serum ferritin level was positively and independently associated with NAFLD in postmenopausal women and could be a useful additional measure in assessing the risk of NAFLD in postmenopausal women.

Keywords:

• Ferritin
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• insulin resistance
• inflammation
• menopause

Conflict of interest

This research was not supported by specific grants from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Additional information

Funding

Nil.