THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF SERUM FERRITIN AND METABOLIC PARAMETERS IN OBESE PATIENTS

Zemze Özbey*, Cemil Işik Sönmez*, Duygu Ayhan Başer**,#

*Düzce University Faculty of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, Düzce,Turkey - **Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of obesity on serum ferritin levels and the relationship between serum ferritin levels and metabolic parameters according to gender-associated differences.

Methods: This retrospective and cross-sectional study included 935 pre-obese and obese individuals who applied to the Obesity Policlinic and met the inclusion criteria. Data were obtained from patient files and hospital database. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to WHO's obesity classification and evaluation was made according to gender.The relationship between ferritin and metabolic parameters of all patients were examined. The observational statistical analysis of the data stored was made through a statistical software.

Results: 86.2% of the study consisted of women. There was a significant difference between ferritin and BMI in women (p <0.05), but not in men. In females, ferritin was positive among the obese groups (p <0.05), but there was an increase from group 1a to group 4a in men, although there was no significance in men. Significance was found between ferritin and APG, uric acid, creatinine, ALT, TC, LDL-C, TG in females and ferritin and ALT in males (p <0.05).

Conclusion: Obesity and increased ferritin have been shown to be related to some metabolic parameters in comorbidities caused by obesity mainly in women. So the anemia should not be ruled out by looking at the ferritin level only in obese patients that we frequently encounter in primary care. And also when evaluated the metabolic parameters of obese and preobese patients, it is very important to pay attention to the gender factor.