|
| Iron Linked to Diabetes
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research shows high amounts of iron in the blood are
associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women who have no known
risk factors.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied more than 32,800
middle-aged women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study. The women provided
blood samples between 1989 and 1990. Researchers evaluated patients' iron
levels in the blood to determine if a correlation between stored iron and type
2 diabetes exists. Participants did not have diabetes, cardiovascular disease
or cancer when the study began.
Results show nearly 700 women developed diabetes after 10 years. Researchers
compared the iron levels of these women to 716 women who did not develop
diabetes. They say women with diabetes had higher intakes of iron than those
who did not develop the disease. The average iron concentration was 109
nanograms/milliliter in patients with diabetes and 71.5 nanograms/milliliter in
healthy patients. Women with diabetes were also heavier, more likely to have a
family history of the disease, and less likely to exercise.
Authors of the study conclude, "This finding may have important implications
for the prevention of type 2 diabetes because elevated ferritin concentration
and lower concentration in the ratio of transferring receptors to ferritin in
healthy populations may help to identify a high-risk population for type 2
diabetes who may benefit from further evaluation and interventions."
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail
every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2004;291:711-717
Last Updated: February 11, 2004
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking
|
|