Correlation of serum ferritin with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at a tertiary health facility

Abstract

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is a noncommunicable disease having predominant public health concern, affecting millions of people worldwide. Studies have shown that serum ferritin was proportional to serum glucose concentration, diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and insulin resistance. However, role of ferritin as a marker of iron overload in pancreatic damage and peripheral insulin resistance or its role as an inflammatory marker is not clear. In present study we assessed level of serum ferritin in type 2 diabetes patients with good and poor glycemic control and also assessed the correlation between serum free iron concentrations with glycemic control. Material and Methods: This study was prospective, cross-sectional type, conducted between September 2019 to March 2020 in outpatient department of general medicine, of our hospital. This study comprises 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (treated with hypoglycemic drugs), as cases and 100 patients, age and sex matched apparently healthy adults as a control group. Results: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, total 200 patients (100 diabetic and 100 healthy) were enrolled in present study. Age and sex difference between two groups was statistically non-significant. Serum ferritin, BMI, fasting blood glucose (mg/dl) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) values were significantly higher in diabetic group as compared to control group. Increase in serum ferritin levels was noted with increasing values of HbA1C. Correlation between serum ferritin and HbA1c was also assessed. The correlation between glycated haemoglobin and serum ferritin was done by Pearson correlation test and it showed a significantly positive correlation (r=0.507) with serum ferritin. Conclusion: In present study, we noted a positive correlation between serum ferritin levels and increased HbA1c reflecting poor glycemic control. This highlights the need for strict glycemic control in these subjects.