The potential benefit of ferritin evaluation resides in its association with adverse outcomes in patients with various pathological conditions. We aimed to conduct the first systematic review evaluating the association between ferritin levels and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during short- or long-term follow-up. Seven studies investigating various endpoints (mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events-MACE, the decline of the left ventricular ejection fraction-LVEF, left ventricular aneurysm development-LVA) were included. AMI patients with low or increased ferritin values tended to have higher in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates. Low and high ferritin levels and chronic kidney disease were independently associated with increased risk of LVA formation. High ferritin concentrations were linked to an accentuated LVEF decline in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention. Both low and high ferritin values were also associated with the duration of hospitalization in patients with AMI during hospital stay and at more extended follow-up. Ferritin evaluation represents a simple investigation that could identify high-risk patients with AMI who might benefit from closer monitoring and specific therapeutic interventions. These data should be confirmed in large trials in the context of currently available therapies for heart failure and AMI.
Keywords: acute myocardial infarction; adverse outcomes; ferritin; mortality; prognosis.