Iron Levels Linked to Risk of Coronary Artery Disease

Increased iron levels can help reduce the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a recent study.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death around the world. Past research has indicated that iron levels, a modifiable trait, are associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease.
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In their Mendelian randomization study, the researchers estimated the effect of iron status on CAD risk by examining 3 different loci: rs1800562 and rs1799945 in the HFE gene and rs855791 in TMPRSS6. Each locus is associated with a certain pattern of serum iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin, and transferrin. These patterns may be linked with systemic iron status, according to the researchers.Mendelian randomization estimates were calculated for each marker by pooling results across the 3 loci.

The researchers also conducted meta-analyses on several previous studies that were registered with the database Metabochip. They analyzed a genome-wide association study of nearly 49,000 patients to estimate the association between single-nucleotide polymorphism and iron status.

The relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphism and CAD was estimated as well. The researchers compared a genome-wide association study involving nearly 61,000 CAD patients and over 123,000 controls with another study involving nearly 64,000 CAD patients and over 130,000 controls.

Results of the study indicated that higher iron levels tend to be associated with lower risk of CAD, thus having a protective effect on CV health.

“This Mendelian randomization study supports the hypothesis that higher iron status reduces CAD risk,” the researchers concluded. “These findings may highlight a therapeutic target.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Gill D, Del Greco M F, Walker AP, Srai SKS, Laffan MA, Minelli C. The effect of iron status on coronary artery disease. Arterioscl Thromb Vascular Biol. 2017;37(7). doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.117.309757.