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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #131077
Title: SERUM FERRITIN OF PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN IS MORE RELATED TO IRON EXCRETION THAN TO DIETARY IRON ACCRETION

Author
item Hunt, Janet
item JOHNSON, LUANN - UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA

Submitted to: Trace Elements in Man and Animals International Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2002
Publication Date: 6/2/2002
Citation: Hunt, J.R., Johnson, L.K. 2002. Serum ferritin of premenopausal women is more related to iron excretion than to dietary iron accretion [abstract]. 11th International Symposium on Trace Elements in Man and Animals. p. 116.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The present study was conducted to evaluate the relative strength of self- reported indices of iron accretion and excretion, as predictors of serum ferritin in premenopausal women. Healthy premenopausal women (n=262), with median (range) age of 31 (19 to 46) y, BMI of 24 (16 to 45) kg/m2, and ferritin of 27 (3 to 262) ug/L, were recruited by advertising to give a single fasting blood sample and complete general and food frequency questionnaires plus a 7-day food record, which was reviewed with a dietitian. Menstrual loss was estimated from menstrual period frequency, length, and number of pads/tampons used on days of heaviest menstruation. Depending on the method for measuring dietary intake, 26 to 29% of the variance in serum ferritin could be explained by these self-reported variables. Menstrual loss accounted for 15% of the variance in serum ferritin, with minor additional portions of the variance accounted for by: total meat, poultry and fish intake (3%), years of hormonal contraceptive use (2%), use of aspirin/antacids (2%), blood donations (1%), BMI (1%), amount of supplemental iron (1%), length of iron supplementation (1%) and dietary phytic acid (2%) and tea (1%). Age, exercise, parity, dietary iron, vitamin C, or coffee consumption did not help explain the serum ferritin in these women. These data indicate that, among premenopausal women on Western diets, self-reported menstrual losses predict iron stores much more substantially than a variety of other variables, and that excretion-related variables account for approximately two-thirds of the variation that is predictable from self-reporting by these women.