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Anemia and Iron Status Among Different Body Size Phenotypes in Chinese Adult Population: a Nation-Wide, Health and Nutrition Survey

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Abstract

Previous studies have shown that there is a controversial relationship between iron homeostasis and obesity. This study aims to explore the relationship of anemia and iron status with different body size phenotypes in adult Chinese population. Using information on iron status-related parameters and lifestyle data from 8462 participants of the 2009 wave of China Health and Nutrition Survey (2009 CHNS), we performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for the risk of anemia and iron parameters according to different body size phenotypes. Participants with higher body mass index (BMI) had a lower anemia prevalence with significant trends in both metabolic status groups (P < 0.001). Serum ferritin, transferrin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)/log ferritin index were significant in different metabolic status groups and in different body size phenotypes, respectively. The ORs for higher ferritin and transferrin increased across different body size phenotypes in both genders, and for sTfR/log ferritin index decreased (P < 0.01 for trend). This association was still statistically significant after adjustment for multiple confounders. We found an inverse association of BMI levels with the prevalence of anemia and strong association of serum ferritin and transferrin with higher risk of obesity or overweight in both metabolic status groups.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the participants in China and the USA who have been involved in the China Health and Nutrition Survey, the blood sample test work, and the related pilot studies. This research uses data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). We thank the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Carolina Population Center (5 R24 HD050924) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the NIH (R01-HD30880, DK056350, R24 HD050924, and R01-HD38700), and the Fogarty International Center of the NIH for the financial support of the CHNS data collection and analysis files from 1989 to 2011 and future surveys, and the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ministry of Health, for the support of the 2009 CHNS. This study was also supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81400356 and 81373773), the International Cooperation Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2014DFA31490), and the China-Japan Friendship Hospital Youth Science and Technology Excellence Project (No. 2015-QNYC-B-11).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 Yinghua East Rd, Beijing, 100029, China

    Jiang Li, Hui Yang, Yun Zhou & Yongtong Cao

  2. China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China

    Cheng Xiao

  3. Blood Screening Laboratory, Beijing Red Cross Blood Center, Beijing, 100088, China

    Rui Wang

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  1. Jiang Li
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  2. Cheng Xiao
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  3. Hui Yang
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Contributions

Study design: Jiang Li.

Data collection and analysis: Hui Yang, Yun Zhou.

Manuscript preparation: Jiang Li, Yongtong Cao, Rui Wang, Cheng Xiao.

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Correspondence to Jiang Li or Yongtong Cao.

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Li, J., Xiao, C., Yang, H. et al. Anemia and Iron Status Among Different Body Size Phenotypes in Chinese Adult Population: a Nation-Wide, Health and Nutrition Survey. Biol Trace Elem Res 185, 1–10 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-1213-x

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