Serum Ferritin Levels Predicts Cirrihosis (get yours checked)
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Join Date: May 2009
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Serum Ferritin Levels Predicts Cirrihosis (get yours checked)
My last test I was at 804... I came across this on a government health site explaining what ferritin levels mean..
Serum ferritin level predicts advanced hepatic fib... [Ann Intern Med. 2003] - PubMed result
BACKGROUND: DNA-based HFE gene testing can confirm hereditary hemochromatosis in most people of Northern European descent. However, liver biopsy is important to detect cirrhosis. OBJECTIVE: To develop noninvasive criteria to predict the presence or absence of advanced hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis in Americans with hemochromatosis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Six tertiary care referral clinics. PATIENTS: 182 patients with phenotypically defined hemochromatosis. MEASUREMENTS: Liver histopathology and serum ferritin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with cirrhosis (defined as bridging fibrosis or unequivocal cirrhosis on biopsy). RESULTS: Cirrhosis was present in 40 of 182 (22%) patients in the overall group and in 35 of 147 (24%) of C282Y homozygotes. Only 1 of 93 patients with a serum ferritin level less than 1000 microg/L had cirrhosis compared with 39 of 89 patients with serum ferritin levels greater than 1000 microg/L (P < 0.001). No C282Y homozygotes or C282Y/H63D compound heterozygotes with serum ferritin levels less than 1000 microg/L had cirrhosis. Elevated serum aminotransferase levels (P = 0.001) and serum ferritin levels greater than 1000 microg/L (P = 0.001), but not age older than 40 years (P = 0.2), were independently associated with cirrhosis. In a multivariate model, the probability of cirrhosis was 7.4% among patients with serum ferritin levels less than 1000 microg/L compared with 72% among patients with serum ferritin levels greater than 1000 microg/L after adjustment for age and elevated serum liver enzyme levels. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hemochromatosis and serum ferritin levels less than 1000 microg/L are unlikely to have cirrhosis. Liver biopsy to screen for cirrhosis may be unnecessary in such patients, regardless of age or serum liver enzyme levels.
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That is about hemochromatosis and the chances of getting liver disease based on the ferritin levels in the blood. If you have a family history of hemochromatosis, then get screened ...
This only has peripheral relevance to the alcohol drinker.
Interesting
This only has peripheral relevance to the alcohol drinker.
Interesting
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Originally Posted by Mark75 
That is about hemochromatosis and the chances of getting liver disease based on the ferritin levels in the blood. If you have a family history of hemochromatosis, then get screened ...
This only has peripheral relevance to the alcohol drinker.
Interesting
This only has peripheral relevance to the alcohol drinker.
Interesting
Higher-than-normal ferritin levels may be due to:
* Alcoholic liver disease
* Frequent transfusion of packed red blood cells
* Hemochromatosis
* Alcoholic liver disease
* Frequent transfusion of packed red blood cells
* Hemochromatosis
This is certainly relevant to alcoholics, thats why I was screened. It's far from a minor issue and can be very important even more so then enzyme counts to determine the extent of the damage thats been done.
GET SCREENED!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 401
my ferritin level back in Feb was 1037
my doc said to stop drinking and get my bloodwork done in a few months and check in because he was worried about the damage to my liver
finally getting sober this month and trying to find the courage to get my bloodwork done again.
terrifying
my doc said to stop drinking and get my bloodwork done in a few months and check in because he was worried about the damage to my liver
finally getting sober this month and trying to find the courage to get my bloodwork done again.
terrifying
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: north carolina
Posts: 74
I think the study is ONLY patients already known to have hemochromatosis (condition in which the body absorbs too much iron). As I read it, for such patients, the ferritin level may have predictive power for cirrhosis. Since cirrhosis results in the failure of the liver to filter blood, it makes sense that iron levels would be much higher for cirrhotic patients that have a pre-existing iron condition than for non-cirrhotic patients.
Excessive alcohol leading to liver disease is just one of many causes of hemochromatosis, and from my quick googling, it does not appear to be a leading cause (largely hereditary). We don't know how many of the 182 patients (if any) had a history of alcohol abuse.
Interesting stuff, though. normal range is 20-250 (though diff labs, source may differ slightly).
I guess just control what we can - eat healthy, DON'T DRINK, and go to the doctor for any problems/regular checkups (and be honest).
Excessive alcohol leading to liver disease is just one of many causes of hemochromatosis, and from my quick googling, it does not appear to be a leading cause (largely hereditary). We don't know how many of the 182 patients (if any) had a history of alcohol abuse.
Interesting stuff, though. normal range is 20-250 (though diff labs, source may differ slightly).
I guess just control what we can - eat healthy, DON'T DRINK, and go to the doctor for any problems/regular checkups (and be honest).
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
SR has been suggesting.....year after year...
please consult with a medical professional about
your problems with alcohol.
I certainly hope our members will make appointments
to check out whatever damage their drinking
may have caused. Some things can be reversed
some can not.
I've not heard of anyone dying from abstinance.
please consult with a medical professional about
your problems with alcohol.
I certainly hope our members will make appointments
to check out whatever damage their drinking
may have caused. Some things can be reversed
some can not.
I've not heard of anyone dying from abstinance.
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
This is certainly relevant to alcoholics, thats why I was screened. It's far from a minor issue and can be very important even more so then enzyme counts to determine the extent of the damage thats been done.
But you do make an entirely relevant point that serum ferritin levels should be checked when trying to find the cause of hepatitis, or cirrhosis. Thanx.
Mark
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 4,451
Hi, lucky, welcome to SR.
It is scary stuff. This thread is a bit old, and unfortunately, I know that at least one of the posters went on to suffer serious liver damage. How about you—are you thinking it's time to quit, turn things around for the better? You can, you know.
It is scary stuff. This thread is a bit old, and unfortunately, I know that at least one of the posters went on to suffer serious liver damage. How about you—are you thinking it's time to quit, turn things around for the better? You can, you know.
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Originally Posted by CarolD
SR has been suggesting.....year after year...
please consult with a medical professional about
your problems with alcohol.
I certainly hope our members will make appointments
to check out whatever damage their drinking
may have caused. Some things can be reversed
some can not.
I've not heard of anyone dying from abstinance.
please consult with a medical professional about
your problems with alcohol.
I certainly hope our members will make appointments
to check out whatever damage their drinking
may have caused. Some things can be reversed
some can not.
I've not heard of anyone dying from abstinance.
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