Increased serum ferritin is common in men with essential hypertension.

Objectives: Insulin-resistance-associated hepatic iron overload syndrome (IRHIO) is characterized by high serum ferritin and presence of metabolic alterations that are part of insulin-resistance syndrome (IRS). Thus, clinical conditions characterized by a high prevalence of IRS may also be characterized by a high prevalence of IRHIO.

Design And Methods: We studied 88 consecutive patients with essential hypertension, 62 patients with IRHIO and 102 healthy normotensive controls.