Effects of Smoking on Serum Ferritin levels in adult population living in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq: A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: The current study aims to examines the effect of smoking on serum ferritin levels of adult populations in Sulaymaniyah.  Methods: The study was conducted on 80 smokers and 20 non-smokers, totally 100 persons. Their ages ranged from 18 to 65 years. Results: This study showed that the majority of smokers had elevated ferritin levels. A p-value of less than 0.05 indicated a significant difference in ferritin levels between smokers and non-smokers groups. The average ferritin level among smoker group was 227.40 mg/L, while the average ferritin level among non-smokers group was 118.3 mg/L. Regarding the associated between age groups and average ferritin levels, the average ferritin level is highest in the age groups between 51-61 years old. In addition, obesity may play a role in raising ferritin levels, people with obese conditions (BMI > 30) have the highest average ferritin levels than others. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that smoking negatively affect serum ferritin levels, since increases in mean ferritin levels are very striking in smoking and obese group.