Serum Ferritin as a Marker of Psychiatric Disorders

ABSTRACT

Serum ferritin, insulin resistance (HOMA), lipid profile and Body Mass Index (BMI) were studied on 44 patients of depression and 38 patients of schizophrenia before any specific treatment was initiated, and compared with 30 healthy controls. All studied schizophrenics showed normal BMI and serum ferritin was significantly decreased (p<0.001) whereas only about 57% of depressive patients had normal BMI and showed decrease in serum ferritin (p<0.001), and rest of the depressive patients had significantly raised BMI (p<0.001) as well as raised serum ferritin level (p<0.001). Depressive patients with raised ferritin level had significantly raised insulin resistance (p<0.001) along with raised serum triglyceride (p<0.007). Serum total cholesterol was increased and HDL cholesterol was decreased in both the conditions.