Iron overload has been implicated to play some roles in inflammation and insulin resistance which may promote development of cardiovascular in type 2 diabetes. This study examined association among ferritin concentrations, inflammatory makers and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. In 2008, we cross-sectionally recruited a total of 524 participants who participated in the Diabetes Management through Integrated Delivery System (DMIDS) cohort. Principal dietary patterns were generated by applying factor analysis to 34 food groups. Insulin resistance was assessed using Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Factor score of high fat and meat intake pattern including consuming various meat products, fried foods, and sugary juice correlated significantly across 5 ferritin levels (p-trend=0.001). Upon adjusting for confounders, serum ferritin concentrations was independently associated with c-reactive protein (beta=0.160, p=0.002) and HOMA-IR (beta=0.117, p=0.008). In conclusion, serum ferritin appears to link to inflammatory markers and increased insulin resistance, which may be partially attributed to high fat and meat intake pattern.
