Serum ferritin and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of observation studies

Serum ferritin, a well-established biomarker of iron status, has been inconsistently linked to stroke risk in previous studies. This meta-analysis aims to systematically evaluate the association between serum ferritin levels and the risk of stroke.

We conducted a systematic literature search across the PubMed and Embase databases to identify relevant studies. Studies meeting predefined eligibility criteria were selected, and relevant data were extracted. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 12.0.

Ten studies, including eight longitudinal and three cross-sectional, were included in our meta-analysis. Cross-sectional studies showed that stroke patients had significantly higher serum ferritin levels than controls. Longitudinal studies suggested a 22% increase in stroke risk in individuals with higher serum ferritin. Subgroup analysis indicated that further high-quality population-based cohort studies are warranted to validate these findings. Dose-response meta-analysis confirmed a positive association between serum ferritin levels and stroke risk.

This meta-analysis provides evidence of a positive association between increased serum ferritin levels and stroke incidence. While these results are promising, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn at this time. Therefore, additional robust, prospective cohort studies are imperative to substantiate this relationship.