Serum Ferritin and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Cross-sectional Studies.

Abstract

Objective\nThis study aims to assess the dose-response relationship between serum ferritin (SF) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the two sexes.\n\n\nMethods\nWe searched for articles on PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and the Web of Science databases that were published from 1950 to 2020. The summary odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of the association between SF and MetS were estimated using a random-effects model through a meta-analysis. Based on the methods described by Greenland and Longnecker, we explored the dose-response relationship between the two sexes.\n\n\nResults\nThis study included 14 studies and 74,710 samples. The results of the classical meta-analysis showed that SF was positively associated with MetS ( OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.59-1.98). Regarding the components of MetS (8 studies included), the results showed that SF was positively associated with abdominal obesity ( OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.24-1.62), elevated fasting plasma glucose ( OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.50-2.25), elevated blood pressure ( OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.08-1.26), elevated triglycerides ( OR= 2.09, 95% CI: 1.72-2.54), and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.19-1.49). In the linear dose-response meta-analysis, the ORs of males, females, and postmenopausal females were 1.14 (95% CI: 1.13-1.16), 1.32 (95% CI: 1.26-1.39), and 1.34 (95% CI: 1.22-1.47), respectively.\n\n\nConclusions\nOur study shows that SF is significantly and positively associated with MetS, and the risk in the male population is higher than that in the female population. This finding also supports the recommendation of using SF as an early warning marker of MetS.