The Relationship of Hyperferritinemia to Metabolism and Chronic Complications in Type 2 Diabetes

Figures & data

Table 1 Clinical characteristics and metabolic parameters in hyperferritinemia and normal-ferritin groups

	Men			Women
	Controls (n=121)	Hyperferritinemia (n=58)	p	Controls (n=75)	Hyperferritinemia (n=76)	p
Ferritin (μg/L)	211.5(122.7)	562.2(254.5)	0.000*	108.1(54.6)	223.1(109.6)	0.000*
Diabetes duration (years)	12.9±6.3	11.7±5.5	0.186	14.5±7.3	13.9±7.0	0.617
Age (years)	62.3±9.1	60.7±9.4	0.281	65.6±8.1	66.3±8.1	0.564
Smoking (%)	78(64.5)	45(77.5)	0.076	8(75)	6(76)	0.557
BMI (kg/m^2)	26.4±16.2	26.5±3.8	0.930	25.8±3.0	26.1±3.4	0.594
TC (mmol/L)	4.72±1.08	4.70±0.80	0.855	5.12±1.23	4.80±1.15	0.109
LDL-C(mmol/L)	3.20±0.92	3.17±0.78	0.803	3.38±0.95	3.23±0.92	0.334
TGs (mmol/L)	1.47(1.10)	2.18(1.83)	0.003*	1.62(1.21)	1.51(1.07)	0.842
FPG(mmol/L)	9.99±3.24	10.56±3.26	0.277	9.32±3.51	9.82±3.51	0.373
HbA1c (%)	9.40±2.08	9.16±1.79	0.443	8.75±1.90	8.93±2.08	0.564
BUN(mmol/L)	5.40(1.80)	6.30(1.95)	0.000*	5.60(1.90)	5.60(2.40)	0.241
Cr(umol/L)	66.5(19.0)	79.3(24.5)	0.001*	59.0(17.0)	58.0(14.7)	0.787
UA(ummol/L)	316.3±73.1	366.2±94.3	0.001*	294.8±75.9	313.7±102.3	0.199
eGFR(mL/min/1.73m^2)	88.5±4.0	81.1±3.7	0.860	74.5±2.7	75.5±2.6	0.787
CRP(mg/L)	3.67(3.51)	5.46(6.00)	0.000*	4.74(3.64)	5.92(5.28)	0.009*
ALT(U/L)	15.0(9.0)	19.5(19.5)	0.000*	15.0(10.0)	18.0(11.5)	0.221
GGT (U/L)	21.0(14.0)	29.0(30.5)	0.000*	17.0(13.0)	20.0(13.0)	0.167

Notes: Data presented as means ± SD, medians (IQR), or n (%); t-tests for continuous data, Mann–Whitney U tests for abnormally distributed variables, and χ² tests for categorical data.

Abbreviations: BMI, body-mass index; TC, total cholesterol; LDL-C, low–density lipoprotein cholesterol; TGs, triglycerides; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HbA₁c, glycated hemoglobin A₁c; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; Cr, serum creatinine; UA, uric acid; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; ALT, alanine transaminase; GGT, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase.

Table 2 Chronic diabetic complications in hyperferritinemia and normal-ferritin groups

	Men			Women
	Controls (n=121)	Hyperferritinemia (n=58)	p	Control (n=75)	Hyperferritinemia (n=76)	p
DR, n (%)	53(43.8)	41(70.7)	0.002*	36(48.0)	50(65.8)	0.039*
MAU, n (%)	38(31.4)	30(51.7)	0.007*	23(30.6)	27(35.5)	0.484
CHD, n (%)	39(32.2)	32(55.2)	0.003*	37(49.3)	50(65.8)	0.041*
Hypertension, n (%)	66(54.5)	42(72.4)	0.022*	57(76.0)	64(84.2)	0.206
Cerebrovascular disease, n (%)	35(28.9)	22(37.9)	0.226	19(25.3)	25(32.9)	0.307

Note: *χ² tests.

Abbreviations: DR, diabetic retinopathy; MAU, microalbuminuria; CHD, coronary heart disease.

Table 3 Logistic regression analysis of associations between DR and hyperferritinemia

	Men		Women
	OR (95% CI)	p	OR (95% CI)	p
Hyperferritinemia	3.957(1.559–10.041)	0.004	2.474(1.127–5.430)	0.024
Diabetes duration	1.073(1.002–1.149)	0.044	1.054(0.994–1.117)	0.076
TC	1.632(0.691–3.857)	0.264	1.163(0.685–1.977)	0.333
LDL-C	1.537(1.203–1.423)	0.211	0.940(0.485–1.823)	0.855
TGs	0.783(0.548–1.118)	0.179	1.089(0.794–1.492)	0.597
FPG	1.100(0.922–1.313)	0.291	0.997(0.845–1.176)	0.970
HbA1c	1.019(0.770–1.349)	0.895	1.055(0.797–1.398)	0.708
BUN	1.133(0.871–1.473)	0.352	1.424(1.064–1.906)	0.018
Cr	1.022(0.996–1.049)	0.103	0.992(0.959–1.025)	0.620
CRP	0.991(0.903–1.083)	0.846	0.959(0.888–1.035)	0.283
BMI	0.990(0.960–1.021)	0.529	0.981(0.860–1.119)	0.774
Smoking	0.478(0.206–1.112)	0.087	0.484(0.121–1.934)	0.305
Age	0.978(0.927–1.031)	0.401	0.974(0.924–1.027)	0.335
Constant	0.138	0.408	0.394	0.741

Abbreviations: TC, total cholesterol; LDL-C, low–density lipoprotein cholesterol; TGs, triglycerides; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HbA₁c, glycated hemoglobin A₁c; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; Cr, creatinine; BMI, body-mass index.

Table 4 Logistic regression analysis of associations between CHD and hyperferritinemia

	Men		Women
	OR (95% CI)	p	OR (95% CI)	p
Hyperferritinemia	2.607(1.087–6.257)	0.032	2.293(1.031–5.096)	0.042
Diabetes duration	1.003(0.939–1.071)	0.934	1.125(1.053–1.202)	0.001
TC	0.724(0.339–1.544)	0.403	1.058(0.616–1.818)	0.838
LDL-C	1.648(0.997–1.423)	0.285	0.812(0.412–1.601)	0.549
TGs	1.137(0.872–1.482)	0.342	1.046(0.801–1.365)	0.742
FPG	0.890(0.750–1.056)	0.182	0.912(0.764–1.089)	0.308
HbA1c	1.085(0.825–1.426)	0.559	1.320(0.978–1.781)	0.070
BUN	1.001(0.772–1.298)	0.993	0.954(0.734–1.239)	0.722
Cr	1.028(1.003–1.055)	0.030	1.027(0.992–1.063)	0.137
CRP	1.034(0.949–1.127)	0.449	1.025(0.956–1.100)	0.485
BMI	0.989(0.954–1.024)	0.524	1.007(0.889–1.141)	0.916
Smoking	1.084(0.468–2.510)	0.850	5.003(1.067–23.669)	0.042
Age	1.052(1.003–1.102)	0.038	1.013(0.961–1.069)	0.628
Constant	0.049	0.183	0.004	0.056

Abbreviations: CHD, coronary heart disease; TC, total cholesterol; LDL-C, low–density lipoprotein cholesterol; TGs, triglycerides; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HbA₁c, glycated hemoglobin A₁c; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; Cr, creatinine; CRP, BMI, body-mass index.

Table 5 Logistic regression analysis of associations between MAU and hyperferritinemia

	Men		Women
	OR(95% CI)	p	OR(95% CI)	p
Hyperferritinemia	2.162(1.096–5.055)	0.045	0.981(0.435–2.216)	0.964
Diabetes duration	1.041(0.978–1.108)	0.208	0.988(0.934–1.046)	0.677
TC	1.996(0.799–4.983)	0.139	0.784(0.445–1.380)	0.399
LDL-C	0.368(0.133–1.022)	0.055	1.115(0.553–2.246)	0.762
TGs	0.823(0.605–1.119)	0.213	0.941(0.705–1.257)	0.681
FPG	1.069(0.910–1.256)	0.417	0.996(0.838–1.185)	0.968
HbA1c	1.180(0.896–1.554)	0.239	1.148(0.851–1.550)	0.366
BUN	1.054(0.820–1.355)	0.680	1.506(1.136–1.997)	0.004
Cr	1.021(0.996–1.047)	0.100	1.023(0.998–1.060)	0.199
CRP	1.054(0.966–1.150)	0.240	1.025(0.964–1.089)	0.432
BMI	1.089(0.972–1.221)	0.142	0.932(0.818–1.062)	0.288
Smoking	0.945(0.410–2.178)	0.894	1.097(0.284–4.232)	0.893
Age	0.994(0.948–1.043)	0.814	1.038(0.984–1.095)	0.174
Constant	0.001	0.017	0.005	0.063

Abbreviations: MAU, microalbuminuria; LDL-C, low–density lipoprotein cholesterol; TC, total cholesterol; TGs, triglycerides; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HbA₁c, glycated hemoglobin A₁c; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; Cr, serum creatinine; BMI, body-mass index.