Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of Iron biomarkers and cardiovascular risk factors in pre- and postmenopausal women: leveraging repeated measurements to address natural variability
Authors' conclusion
In cross-sectional analysis, transferrin was associated with several CVD-RFs, and the associations did not change according to menopausal status. Conversely, in the longitudinal analyses, changes in transferrin were associated only with lower glucose and diastolic blood pressure levels. These differences might stem from the substantial longitudinal variation of iron biomarkers, underscoring the need for multiple iron measurements in longitudinal analyses.
Study context
- Population
- Pre- and postmenopausal women from the CoLaus cohort1,482 in longitudinal analysis
- Participants
- 2,542 participants
- Exposure
- Iron biomarkers and CVD risk factors
- Outcome
- Cross-sectional associations of iron biomarkers with CVD risk factors
Methodological detailsCoLaus cohort, repeated measurements, multivariable-adjusted
- CoLaus cohort
- Repeated measurements
- Multivariable-adjusted
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Elevated serum ferritin associated with increased insulin and glucose levels (p < 0.05)
- Higher transferrin linked to elevated glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05)
- No association between CVD risk factors and transferrin saturation (TSAT) (p > 0.05)
- After multivariable adjustment
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Menopausal status
- Iron biomarkers showed low reliability across reproductive stages but stronger associations in the perimenopausal group
Longitudinal association of transferrin with glucose
- Transferrin associated with lower glucose: β (95% CI - 1.10, - 0.08), p = 0.02
- - 0.59
Longitudinal association of transferrin with diastolic blood pressure
- Transferrin associated with lower diastolic blood pressure: β (95% CI - 15.9, - 0.56), p = 0.04
- - 7.81
Original publication
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