Serum ferritin is an independent factor in coronary artery stenosis among hemodialysis patients.

Hemodialysis patients frequently receive intravenous iron for the treatment of anemia. Iron status has been found to be correlated with coronary artery disease. In the post hoc study reported here, we evaluate the association between iron status and coronary arterial stenosis (CAS) in a 3-year follow-up period. We enrolled 76 patients and collected iron status, and clinical/biochemical data over 3 years. In this study, coronary arterial stenosis was considered significant when the narrowing of the coronary artery exceeded 50 % of the luminal diameter on coronary angiography. The mean age was 61 years old. The female/male ratio was 48/28, and the group included 16 diabetic patients and 23 smokers. Twenty-two of 76 patients had CAS. Mean intravenous iron dosage was 2167.11 ± 1738.38 in a 3-year period. On the univariate regression analysis, 3-year-averaged serum ferritin was positively associated with CAS (r = 0.288, P = 0.012). The 3-year-averaged intravenous iron dosage, DM, age, smoking, and other biochemical parameters showed no association with CAS. When these factors were added to the multivariate-adjusted models, 3-year-averaged serum ferritin remained a determinant of CAS event (ß = 0.290, P = 0.029). The odds ratio for CAS was 6.93 (95 % CI 2.41-19.94; P = 0.001) for patients with 3-year-averaged serum ferritin ≥600 ng/mL. In summary, serum ferritin was an independent risk factor for CAS among this group of hemodialysis patients, especially when serum ferritin was ≥600 ng/mL.

Serum ferritin is associated with progression of peripheral arterial disease in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Dialysis patients received intravenous iron to treat anemia and had high prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD). We hypothesized that high iron status might associate with the progression of PAD among hemodialysis patients. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between iron status and progression of PAD. METHODS: We measured iron status in 74 hemodialysis patients and studied the association with clinical, biochemical, and vascular parameters including progression of PAD measured by ankle-brachial index (ABI) over 3 years. RESULTS: Mean baseline ABI was 1.03 ± 0.18. Mean ABI at 3 years was 0.95 ± 0.20. Mean ∆ABI (change in ABI after 3 years) was -0.08 ± 0.14. Serum ferritin was negatively correlated with baseline ABI (r = -0.232, p = 0.046). After 3 years, ∆ABI was negatively associated with 3-year averaged serum ferritin, phosphorus, and calcium-phosphate product (Ca × P) (r = -0.253, p = 0.029; r = -0.278, p = 0.016; r = -0.288, p = 0.013; respectively). After an adjusted model, 3-year averaged serum ferritin and Ca × P remained the significant determinants of ∆ABI (ß = -0.234, p = 0.038; ß = -0.271, p = 0.017; respectively). ∆ABI was significantly different between 3-year averaged serum ferritin level ≥600 and <600 ng/mL (p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: In hemodialysis patients, high serum ferritin associates with progression of PAD, especially among those with high Ca x P level.