Serum Ferritin and Iron Status in the General Population of Singapore, 1993 to 1995

Abstract

The National University of Singapore Heart Study is a cross-sectional survey of cardiovascular risk factors in persons aged 30 to 69 years from the general population of Singapore, with 957 persons having measurements of serum ferritin. For males aged 30 to 69 years, mean serum ferritin concentrations were highest in Chinese (236 μg/L), followed by Malays (175 μg/L) and then Indians (132 μg/L). For females aged 30 to 49 years (pre-menopausal), mean levels were higher in Chinese (61 μg/L) and Malays (55 μg/L) than Indians (30 μg/L), and likewise for the 50 to 69 years age group (post-menopausal) where the mean values were 144 μg/L for Chinese, 141 μg/L for Malays, and 85 μg/L for Indians. The proportions with iron deficiency (serum ferritin