Serum iron levels are negatively correlated with serum triglycerides levels in female university students.

Background: Dyslipidemia is common among the general population, and its prevention is urgently needed particularly for the health of students. The purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between serum iron level and blood lipids.

Methods: A sample of 290 university students was collected in this cross-section study. The blood lipids and serum iron levels were determined. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between serum iron level and blood lipids.

Results: The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 8.8% among male students and 5.4% among female students. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was7.2% among the total students. The results showed that serum iron level was negatively correlated with triglyceride (TG), but was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)-cholesterol, and total cholesterol (TC) in female students. Female students with serum iron less than 15 mmol/L had higher levels of serum TG than female students with serum iron 15 mmol/L or above (P<0.05).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that lower serum iron levels may be a risk factor of high serum TG in female students. Supplementation of iron may be a strategy for prevention of high serum TG in female students.