Increased serum ferritin levels are independently related to incidence of prediabetes in adult populations

Association between serum 25 (OH) D levels and depression symptoms in adults with prediabetes

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Depression symptoms are a significant risk factor for prediabetes-related diabetes, and low vitamin D levels are connected with depression symptoms. The goal of this study is to examine the association between vitamin D and depression symptoms in prediabetic persons.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Tianjin, China, among 4051 individuals. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) (cut-off point SDS ≥45). Serum 25 (OH) D concentrations were determined using an enzyme immunoassay (OCTEIA 25-hydroxy Vitamin D, IDS Ltd, UK) and classified into three levels: 50 nmol/L, 50-75 nmol/L, and >75 nmol/L. The link between serum 25 (OH) D concentrations and depression symptoms in prediabetes was investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis. The models were adjusted for a variety of potential confounders.

RESULTS

The prevalence of symptoms of depression in prediabetic adults was 14.2% (12.5% males and 16.4% females). After adjusting for potentially confounding variables, the odds ratios - ORs for symptoms of depression in women across serum 25 (OH) D levels were 1.00 (reference), 1.03 (0.57, 1.39), and 0.28 (0.12, 0.57), respectively (p = 0.0015). However, no statistically significant connection was discovered in males.

CONCLUSION

In women with prediabetes, we showed a substantial negative connection between serum 25 (OH) D levels and depressed symptoms. Vitamin D supplementation may be an effective way to decrease the risk of depression symptoms in women with prediabetes.

Interactive effects of serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein on diabetes in hypertensive patients

BACKGROUND

Hypertensive patients, often characterized by chronic inflammation, are susceptible to diabetes. Evidence suggests that the positive association between serum ferritin (SF) and diabetes was affected by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), an inflammation marker. We investigate whether there was an interaction between SF and hs-CRP on diabetes in hypertensive patients.

METHODS

We analysed data of 1,735 hypertensive people in this cross-sectional study. Diabetes was diagnosed when fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L and/or a previous clinical diagnosis of diabetes. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association of the SF and hs-CRP with diabetes. Multiplicative interaction was evaluated by incorporating a cross-product term for SF and hs-CRP to the logistic regression model. Additive interaction was assessed by calculating the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI) and attributed proportion due to interaction (AP).

RESULTS

In the adjusted analysis, SF (highest vs lowest tertile: odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.16) was positively associated with diabetes. There was no multiplicative interaction between SF and hs-CRP, but evidence of additive interaction in regard to diabetes (RERI: 0.86; 95 % CI: 0.06-1.67). Compared to the patients with low SF (lower two thirds) and low hs-CRP (≤ 2 mg/L), those with high SF (upper one third) and high hs-CRP (> 2 mg/L) had increased OR for diabetes (adjusted OR: 2.33 [1.65-3.30]), with 37.0 % of the effects attributed to the additive interaction (AP: 0.37; 95 % CI: 0.09-0.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Within a cross-sectional study consisting of hypertensive patients, co-exposure to high SF and high hs-CRP was synergistically associated with diabetes. Dietary intervention or pharmacological treatment to lowering SF concentration may help to reduce diabetes morbidity in hypertensive patient with chronic inflammation.

Effect of β-hydroxybutyrate monoester on markers of iron metabolism in new-onset prediabetes: findings from a randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: People with prediabetes often have altered iron metabolism and may benefit from mild exogenous ketosis, which can now be successfully achieved thanks to recent developments in chemistry of food components. Objective: The objective was to investigate the effect of acute exogenous ketone monoester (β-hydroxybutyrate) on plasma levels of markers of iron metabolism in people with prediabetes. Methods: Eighteen participants with new-onset prediabetes after acute pancreatitis aged 18 years or above took part in randomised controlled cross-over trial in Auckland, New Zealand. After an overnight fast, participants consumed the exogenous ketone supplement or placebo. Blood samples were collected in the fasted state (0 minutes) and then serially every 30 minutes for 150 minutes. Both participants and study personnel were blinded to the intervention/placebo allocation. Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed using total area under the curve to determine the change in hepcidin and ferritin over time after consumption of the exogenous ketone supplement and placebo. Results: Consumption of the exogenous ketone supplement significantly elevated blood levels of β-hydroxybutyrate from 0.20 mmol L^-1 at baseline to 3.50 mmol L^-1 at 30 minutes (p < 0.05) and remained significantly elevated for the duration of the trial. The total area under the curve of hepcidin was 340.5 ± 121.1 ng mL^-1 after the exogenous ketone supplementation as compared with 343.2 ± 119.6 ng mL^-1 min^-1 after the use of placebo (p = 0.91). The total area under the curve of ferritin was 786.7 ± 129.1 ng mL^-1 min^-1 after the exogenous ketone supplementation as compared with 776.9 ± 131.4 ng mL^-1 min^-1 after the use of placebo (p = 0.10). Conclusion: Acute supplementation of β-hydroxybutyrate did not significantly affect the circulating levels of hepcidin or ferritin in people with prediabetes. Long-term effects of β-hydroxybutyrate warrant investigations in the future.

Evidence of dysregulated iron homeostasis in newly diagnosed diabetics, but not in pre-diabetics

AIM

Diabetes mellitus has been reported to be associated with increased serum levels of ferritin. The basis of this association is unclear. It is also not precisely known whether other iron-related parameters, including hepcidin (the central regulator of systemic iron homeostasis), are affected under these circumstances. This study attempted to determine this.

METHODS

Adult men (normoglycemic or newly diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes) were recruited. Anthropometric, metabolic, and hematological and iron-related parameters in blood were measured. Indices of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and pancreatic beta cell function (HOMA-β) were calculated.

RESULTS

Subjects in the 3 groups were similar in age, and anthropometric and hematological parameters. Serum ferritin and hepcidin levels were higher in diabetics, than in pre-diabetics and in control subjects. These elevations seen were not linked to the presence of inflammation. HOMA-IR was higher in diabetics, and HOMA-β lower in diabetics and pre-diabetics, than in control subjects. HOMA-IR and serum ferritin were positively correlated with one another.

CONCLUSION

Elevated levels of serum ferritin and hepcidin in newly diagnosed diabetics (but not pre-diabetics) indicate dysregulated iron homeostasis, with the former positively associated with insulin resistance in these patients.

Increased serum ferritin is associated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein in prediabetes patients: A pilot study

Aims

This pilot study aimed to determine if increased serum ferritin (SF) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in patients with prediabetes.

Methods

Eighteen patients with prediabetes and 36 subjects without prediabetes (control), non-white Hispanic, non-indigenous origin, Mexican mestizo descent were included. Participants had no inflammation, or vascular complications. SF and metabolic markers were evaluated in both groups.

Results

SF and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) were increased in prediabetes subjects. Moreover, in prediabetes and control groups as a whole, natural logarithm (ln)-SF correlated with oxLDL and ln-oxLDL/LDL after adjustment for sex, ln-age, ln-fasting plasma glucose (FPG), ln-body mass index, ln-triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoproteins. Finally, ln-SF was an independent contributor to ln-oxLDL/LDL ratio in control and prediabetes subjects (β = 0.2915) after the introduction of potential confounders such as FPG, TC, TG, and hypertension.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that hyperferritinemia is associated with oxLDL, considered one of the main cardiovascular risk factors, which allows us to suggest that an increase in SF could contribute to the progression of prediabetes, prior to the appearance of diabetes. Further research is required to establish a causal relationship of iron disruption metabolism in oxLDL generation under prediabetes conditions.

Relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis stratified by glucose metabolic status in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Many studies demonstrated that hyperglycemia is not only increased inflammatory response, but also is a cause of atherosclerosis, implying that glucose metabolic status may be an important stratification factor when analyzing the relationship between inflammatory levels and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study is to assess the relationship between inflammatory levels and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, stratified by different glucose metabolic status in a general population.

METHODS

An assessment was performed in 7975 participants living in Tianjin, China. In the present study, we examined subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, as defined by increased carotid intima-media thickness [IMT] and plaques. Measurements were performed using a carotid artery B-mode ultrasound system. The glucose metabolic status was defined by the criteria of the American Diabetes Association, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as an inflammatory indicator, was measured by immunoturbidimetric assay. Multiple logistic models were used to assess a stratified relationship between hs-CRP levels and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. Strata were defined according to glucose metabolic status.

RESULTS

The prevalence of increased IMT and plaques were 27.3% and 21.3%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for IMT across hs-CRP quartiles were as follows: 1.00 (reference), 1.10(0.88-1.38), 1.08(0.86-1.35) and 1.32(1.06-1.66) in blood glucose-normal subjects; 1.00 (reference), 1.33(0.92-1.91), 1.33(0.93-1.91), and 1.59(1.10-2.30) in prediabetic subjects; 1.00 (reference), 0.94(0.54-1.62), 1.17(0.65-2.12) and 0.98(0.55-1.76) in diabetic subjects, respectively. Similar results were observed for plaques.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that inflammatory levels are differently related to subclinical carotid atherosclerosis by the different glucose metabolic status.

Raw orange intake is associated with higher prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in an adult population

OBJECTIVES

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common public health issues worldwide. Oranges are the most popular fruit consumed in the world. Admittedly, flavonoids in oranges act as antioxidants and improve liver steatosis. However, oranges also are rich in fructose, which is a risk factor in the progress of NAFLD. Therefore, we hypothesize that orange intake may be a double-edged sword in the development of NAFLD. To our knowledge, there currently is little evidence of the effect of dietary orange intake on NAFLD. The aim of this study was to investigate how orange intake is related to NAFLD in a general adult population.

METHODS

We randomly recruited 27,214 adults into the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study. NAFLD was diagnosed by liver ultrasonography. Raw orange intake was assessed by a validated self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between orange intake and the prevalence of NAFLD.

RESULTS

There was a 27.18% prevalence of NAFLD among the participants. Consumption of orange was positively associated with the prevalence of NAFLD after adjustment for all potential confounding factors (P_trend = 0.04). The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of the categories of orange intake in the NAFLD were 1.00 (reference) for less than once per week, 1.02 (0.95-1.11) for 1 to 6 times per week, and 1.17 (1.03-1.33) for ≥7 times per week, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated that orange intake is positively associated with the prevalence of NAFLD.

Carnosine supplementation reduces plasma soluble transferrin receptor in healthy overweight or obese individuals: a pilot randomised trial

Abnormalities of iron homeostasis have been linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Carnosine, an over-the-counter food supplement with chelating properties, has been shown to decrease serum iron and improve glucose metabolism in diabetic rodents. We have previously demonstrated that carnosine supplementation prevented worsening of glucose metabolism in healthy overweight and obese middle-aged adults. Yet, the impact of carnosine on markers of iron metabolism in humans has not been investigated. We aimed to determine whether carnosine supplementation has an effect on iron parameters in overweight and obese, otherwise healthy adults. We included 26 participants, who were randomly allocated to receive 1 g carnosine (n = 14) or identical placebo (n = 12) twice daily for 12 weeks. Iron parameters including iron, ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor, total iron binding capacity and iron saturation were measured in serum or plasma by standard commercial assays. Carnosine supplementation decreased plasma soluble transferrin receptor compared to placebo (mean change difference ± standard error: - 0.07 ± 0.03 mg/l, p = 0.04). None of the other iron parameters were different between carnosine and placebo groups. At follow-up, soluble transferrin receptor was associated inversely with urinary carnosine concentrations and positively with serum carnosinase-1 activity (both p < 0.02). Our findings suggest that carnosine may modulate iron metabolism in high-risk groups which could ameliorate insulin resistance and prevent type 2 diabetes. Larger human clinical trials are required to confirm our results.

Clinical and Body Compositional Factors Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Koreans: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are increasing rapidly worldwide, but metabolically healthy population exists. Thus, this study evaluated the proportion of obesity and MetS and investigated clinical and body compositional factors associated with MetS in obese Koreans.

METHODS

This cross-sectional observational study enrolled subjects from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 15,408). Obesity was defined by body mass index (BMI) cutoff points of 25 and 27.5 kg/m². Clinical and laboratory parameters were compared by MetS presence and factors associated with insulin resistance or MetS in obese subjects were evaluated by multivariate or logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The proportion of obesity was 29.7% at a BMI cutoff point of 25 kg/m² and 10.4% at 27.5 kg/m². The proportion of MetS was greater in obese population and increased with higher obesity cutoff point, where men were more prevalent than women. The subjects with MetS showed higher age, glycated hemoglobin, insulin resistance, liver enzymes, and ferritin compared with metabolically healthy population in both obese genders. Factors associated with insulin level or presence of MetS were high trunk fat percentage, trunk-to-limb fat ratio, and trunk-to-leg fat ratio, but low limb fat percentage and leg fat percentage. Among body composition indices, trunk-to-limb fat ratio and trunk-to-leg fat ratio showed significantly high odds ratios for MetS in both obese genders regardless of BMI cutoff points.

CONCLUSIONS

MetS in obese population concurrently increased with higher obesity cutoff point. Higher age, insulin resistance, liver enzymes, ferritin, and higher proportion of truncal fat mass-to-limb or leg fat mass significantly contribute to MetS, where trunk-to-limb fat ratio and trunk-to-leg fat ratio could be helpful in identifying and preventing MetS in the obese Korean population.

High serum ferritin levels are associated with insulin resistance but not with impaired glucose tolerance in a healthy people population

AIM

To assess the association between elevated serum ferritin levels and the presence of insulin resistance (IR) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a population of individuals with no endocrine or metabolic disorders background.

METHODS

Analytical cross-sectional study, carried out in adults of both sexes with no medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or other metabolic or endocrine disorder, who attended the outpatient service of a private clinic in Lima-Peru during 2012-2014 period. Impaired serum ferritin levels were defined as serum ferritin values >300μg/L in men and >200μg/L in women. IR was defined as a Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) value ≥3.8 and IGT was defined as an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) value between 126mg/dL and 199mg/dL. The reported association measure was the prevalence ratio (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

We analyzed 213 participants, the average age was 35.8±11.1years and 35.7% were males. The prevalence of impaired serum ferritin levels, IR and IGT in the population was 12.7%, 33.3% and 9.9% respectively. In the adjusted Poisson regression models, the prevalence of IR was higher among the group with impaired serum ferritin levels (PR=1.74; 95%CI:1.18-2.56); however, we found no association between impaired serum ferritin levels and IGT (PR=1.42; 95%CI:0.47-4.30).

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired levels of serum ferritin are associated with IR, nevertheless, not with IGT in a metabolically healthy population. Serum ferritin could be considered as an early marker of IR prior to the onset of glycaemia disorders.