SERUM FERRITIN LEVEL AS AN EARLY INDICATOR OF METABOLIC DYSREGULATION IN YOUNG OBESE ADULTS-A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum ferritin level and antioxidative status and metabolic dysregulation in young adult obese population. This cross-sectional study included three hundred subjects of either sex, grouped as obese and non-obese subjects. The Body Mass Index (BMI), serum ferritin, Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Fasting Blood Glucose (FBS), Total cholesterol (TC), High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C), Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), Triglyceride (TG), Glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and vitamin-C level was estimated. Analysis showed a significant alteration in all the parameters in obese adults. The correlation of ferritin level and BMI showed a positive correlation (r=>0.32, p<0.001 respectively) with levels of FBS, SOD, TC, LDL and TG in obese individuals whereas, an insignificant correlation with Vit-C and GSH level was observed in obese individuals. The significant positive correlation of ferritin level with the metabolic parameters and some antioxidative parameters in obese individuals signifies the development of metabolic disorders. Therefore, estimation of serum ferritin level will be an important early indicator for the risk of developing metabolic disorders in young adults.