(1) Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with higher risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum ferritin concentrations correlate with total iron levels and systemic inflammation. (2) Methods: This study was cross-sectionally designed, based on the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). According to ferritin values, 13,462 participants (6082 men and 7380 women) were categorized into the normal- and high-ferritin groups (cut-off points: 200 ng/mL in men, 150 ng/mL in women). (3) Results: The mean ages of men and women were 44.5 and 48.4 years, respectively. The percentage of participants categorized into the high-ferritin group was 15.1% for men and 3.6% for women. The estimated glomerular filtration rate levels in the normal- and high-ferritin groups were 93.2 and 93.8 mL/min/1.73 m² for men and 97.1 and 87.7 mL/min/1.73 m² for women, respectively. The prevalence of CKD in the normal- and high-ferritin groups was 2.6% and 3.9% for men and 3.2% and 8.1% for women, respectively. Compared with the normal-ferritin group, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for CKD of the high-ferritin group were 1.573 (1.014-2.441) in men and 1.061 (0.381-2.955) in women, after adjustments for age and other covariates. (4) Conclusions: High ferritin levels were associated with a higher risk of CKD in men but not in women.
Keywords: chronic kidney disease; ferritin; inflammation; iron; oxidative stress.