Korean J Fam Pract.  2022 Sep;12(4):262-267. 10.21215/kjfp.2022.12.4.262.

Associations between Serum Ferritin and Triglyceride Glucose Index: Using Health Examination Data at One Medical Institution’s Health Examination Center (2020)

• Lee JI
• Joe H
• Cho YJ
• Shin HS
• Hong SH
• Yoo BW
• Oh JE
• Shin KS
• Son DY

• KMID: 2533239
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2022.12.4.262

Abstract

Background
The overload of iron in the body is known to cause oxidative stress and inflammatory damage to cell and tissues, leading to diabetes mellitus. The relationship between serum ferritin, which reflects body iron storage, and insulin resistance has been reported in several studies. The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index using fasting blood sugar and triglyceride is a useful marker of insulin resistance. This study aimed to determine whether there is an association between serum ferritin and TyG index.
Methods
The study participants consisted of 4,718 adults who visited Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Korea, for regular health checkups in 2020. Participants’ serum ferritin, triglyceride, fasting blood sugar, height, and weight were measured. Participants were separated by sex and divided into four groups according to quartiles of serum ferritin level. The correlation between ferritin and TyG index was analyzed.
Results
TyG index was significantly higher in participants with higher serum ferritin quartiles in both sexes. Moreover, elevated serum ferritin levels were independently associated with TyG index after adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, drinking, and smoking (P<0.05).
Conclusion
In this study, serum ferritin was positively correlated with TyG index in healthy Korean adults.

Keyword

Ferritins; Insulin Resistance; Triglycerides; Glucose