High iron levels associated with reduced cholesterol
Friday, 21 June, 2019
People with high iron levels are less likely to have high cholesterol, according to an international study.
Published in聽, the study found that, in addition to protecting people against anaemia, high iron levels also reduced the likelihood of high cholesterol. However, the authors cautioned that high iron levels can have other detrimental impacts.
The study,聽 led by聽, the (UniSA) and聽, looked at the role聽iron plays in 900 diseases, and聽used genetic and clinical data from approximately 500,000 people in the聽UK Biobank.
Iron deficiency is well documented, with approximately 1.2 billion people worldwide living with anaemia, leading to serious health problems if left untreated.
What is less known is the impact of excess iron where the body stores too much iron, which can lead to liver disease, heart problems and diabetes in extreme cases.
Around 25% to 65% of differences between individuals in iron levels are due to genetic factors, according to UniSA geneticist Dr Beben Benyamin, joint first author of the paper.
鈥淲e used a statistical method, called Mendelian randomisation, that employs genetic data to better estimate the causal effect of iron status on 900 diseases and conditions. Through this, we found a link between excess iron and a reduced risk of high cholesterol,鈥� Dr Benyamin said.
鈥淭his could be significant given that raised cholesterol is a major factor in cardiovascular disease and stroke, causing around 2.6 million deaths each year according to the .鈥�
However, it鈥檚 a double-edged sword: high iron levels could also lead to a greater risk of bacterial skin infections, such as cellulitis and abscesses.
Previous studies have found that bacteria need iron to survive and flourish, but the Biobank study is the first to use large-scale population data to support the link between iron overload and bacterial skin infections.
Cellulitis affects around聽21 million people each year, resulting in more than聽17,000 deaths worldwide, making it a global health priority.
Clinical trials have been undertaken to manipulate iron status in anaemic patients but, to date, no trials have targeted iron levels to prevent or treat skin infections or regulate cholesterol. Trial data is essential before iron manipulation is recommended for these disorders.
鈥淚n this study we have provided population-based evidence that iron is associated with certain diseases. The next step is to investigate whether direct manipulation of iron levels improves health outcomes through clinical trials,鈥� Dr Benyamin said.
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