Elevated transferrin saturation and risk of diabetes: three population-based studies.

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that elevated transferrin saturation is associated with an increased risk of any form of diabetes, as well as type 1 or type 2 diabetes separately. We used two general population studies, The Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS, N = 9,121) and The Copenhagen General Population Study (CGPS, N = 24,195), as well as a 1:1 age- and sex-matched population-based case-control study with 6,129 patients with diabetes from the Steno Diabetes Centre and 6,129 control subjects, totaling 8,535 patients with diabetes and 37,039 control subjects. In the combined studies, odds ratios in those with transferrin saturation ≥50% vs. <50% were 2.1 (95% CI 1.3-3.4; P = 0.003) for any form of diabetes; 2.6 (1.2-5.6; P = 0.01) for type 1 diabetes; and 1.7 (1.4-2.1; P = 0.001) for type 2 diabetes. Elevated transferrin saturation confers a two- to threefold increased risk of developing any form of diabetes, as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes separately.