ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Studies conducted have yielded contradicting results on the role of ferritin as a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The relation of ferritin status to risk of AMI in Indian men, along with other established major risk factors like serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides has not been documented previously. The hypothesis that increased serum ferritin was related to increased chances of AMI along with the risk factors was tested. METHODS: Case control study involving 145 men (100 cases and 45 healthy control subjects) in the age group of 30-70 years. Serum ferritin levels were estimated by using ELISA, and other risk factors by enzymatic methods. RESULTS: Increased serum ferritin levels significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with an increase of other risk factors in Indian male patients with AMI. CONCLUSION: Significant direct correlation between serum ferritin levels and risk of AMI was observed.