Serum ferritin: a noval coronary artery disease risk factor

ABSTRACT

Strong epidemiological evidence is available that iron is an important factor in the process of atherosclerosis. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that the assessment of novel markers help to identify persons prone to premature CAD. The aim of the study is to assess the potential role of ferritin as an independent risk factor promoting atherosclerosis. 45 patients with CAD were studied and subdivided into 3 main groups; group 1 patients with chronic., stable angina group 2 patients with unstable angina, group 3 patients with acute myocardial infarction and additional group 4 of 15 subjects as a control. All patients and control were subjected to accurate history taking, clinical examination and a variety of laboratory investigations in association with s. ferritin and plasma malondialdehyde level [MDA]. It was found that patients with CAD whether chronic stable angina, unstable angina, or acute myocardial infarction had a significant higher serum ferritin level than the control subjects: mean s. ferritin 702.46 +/- 211.36 ng/L versus 195.66 +/- 41.46 ng/L, P-value 0.001 also the CAD patients had a higher oxidative stress represented by lipid proxidation product MDA [Malondialdehyde] mean MDA in umol/L 0.780 +/- 0.213 versus 0.375+0.198/umol/L for the control subjects, P-value 0.01. Serum ferritin could be considered a novel, and independent CAD risk factor associated with increased oxidative stress in th n of increased lipid peroxidation and hence MDA