Effects of body compositions on the associations between ferritin and diabetes parameters among Japanese community dwellers

Kyi Mar Wai; Rei Akuzawa; Yoko Umeda; Wataru Munakata; Yoshiko Takahashi; Shigeyuki Nakaji; Kazushige Ihara

doi:10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127174

Effects of body compositions on the associations between ferritin and diabetes parameters among Japanese community dwellers

J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2023 Jul:78:127174. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127174. Epub 2023 Apr 6.

Authors

Kyi Mar Wai¹, Rei Akuzawa², Yoko Umeda³, Wataru Munakata⁴, Yoshiko Takahashi⁵, Shigeyuki Nakaji⁶, Kazushige Ihara³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Japan. Electronic address: kyimar@hirosaki-u.ac.jp.
² School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Japan.
³ Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Japan.
⁴ Department of Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Japan.
⁵ Center of Innovation, Research Initiatives Organization, Hirosaki University, Japan.
⁶ Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Japan; Center of Innovation, Research Initiatives Organization, Hirosaki University, Japan.

PMID: 37080017
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127174

Abstract

Background: Ferritin is associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Moreover, the ferritin levels differ across the body compositions. Although there were studies reporting the association of ferritin and diabetes, the alteration in ferritin-diabetes association by body composition differences is rarely explained. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the effects of body compositions on the association between ferritin and diabetes parameters among the Japanese population.

Methods: This study analyzed the data of a cross-sectional study with 1065 subjects aged over 19 years in the Iwaki area, Japan. Independent variables were ferritin and body compositions, while dependent variables were blood sugar, HbA1c, and diabetes mellitus. Correlations between serum ferritin and blood sugar and HbA1c were analyzed using Spearman's Rank Correlation. Multivariate linear or logistic regressions were used to investigate the effects of body compositions (body fat percentage, muscle mass, or visceral fat level) on the ferritin-diabetes associations by adjusting the confounders.

Results: There were significant positive correlations between ferritin and blood sugar in both sexes (p < 0.05), while a significant correlation between ferritin and HbA1c was found only in females (p < 0.001). Higher ferritin was significantly associated with an increase in blood sugar in individuals with normal body fat percentage (lowest vs. highest quartile group, coefficient=5.07, 95 % confidence intervals [CI]: 1.48-8.65), normal visceral fat level (lowest vs. highest quartile group, coefficient=4.84, 95 % CI: 1.74-7.94), and very high muscle mass (lowest vs. highest quartile group, coefficient=14.14, 95 % CI: 5.00-23.29).

Conclusions: By our study findings, individuals' body composition notably influenced the associations of serum ferritin and diabetes parameters, and the association was attenuated in obese individuals.

Keywords: Blood Sugar, HbA1c; Diabetes Mellitus; Ferritin; Iron Storage; Japan.

MeSH terms

Adult
Blood Glucose
Body Composition*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diabetes Mellitus* / epidemiology
East Asian People
Female
Ferritins* / blood
Glycated Hemoglobin
Humans
Male

Substances

Blood Glucose
Ferritins
Glycated Hemoglobin