Study of serum ferritin as a potential risk factor in acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

AIM & OBJECTIVES Aim of the study was to assess the relationship of serum ferritin with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and with established conventional risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD). Objectives were to test serum ferritin levels and to study conventional risk factors of CAD in both AMI patients and controls. METHODOLOGY In this hospital based case-control study, consecutive cases diagnosed as AMI, admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of MIMER Medical College, Talegaon Dabhade; and Age, sex and hemoglobin matched controls, were studied. Anthropometric data, case history, clinical examination, ECG, serum creatine kinase-MB fraction, Troponin–T and Complete Blood Count results of cases and controls were collected. Serum ferritin was determined by Microplate immunoenzymometric assay. Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-C) was estimated. RESULT Significantly higher level of serum ferritin was found in cases of AMI as compared to controls. The median serum ferritin level was higher (234.5 ng/ml) in AMI cases compared to controls (139.5 ng/ml). Serum ferritin level value >/=300 ng/ml was significantly associated with AMI cases compared to controls (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.00–9.37, P <0.05*). This value also showed a significant association with the history of hypertension, smoking and diabetes mellitus and raised serum total cholesterol and LDL-C levels in AMI cases. CONCLUSION Our study found a significant independent association of serum ferritin with AMI. Also, cases of AMI with serum ferritin >/=300 ng/ml was significantly associated with conventional risk factors like history of hypertension, history of smoking, history of diabetes mellitus, raised serum total cholesterol & LDL-C. The limitation of the study is its small sample size. A larger prospective study is needed to support the results of this case-control study.