Correlation of serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels between normal and type 2 diabetic mellitus (DM) individuals

Authors

  • Shazia Anwar Islamabad Medical Complex - NESCOM, Islamabad Pakistan
  • Madeeha Iftikhar Islamabad Medical Complex - NESCOM, Islamabad Pakistan
  • Madiha Butt Islamabad Medical Complex - NESCOM, Islamabad Pakistan
  • Abdul Naeem Islamabad Medical Complex - NESCOM, Islamabad Pakistan
  • Maryam Mahboob Islamabad Medical Complex - NESCOM, Islamabad Pakistan
  • Ayesha Waqar Islamabad Medical Complex - NESCOM, Islamabad Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55629/pakjpathol.v37i2.967

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the correlation between serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels in Pakistani subjects with type 2 diabetic mellitus (DM) individuals.

Material and Methods: This comparative prospective cross-sectional study was done in the Department of Hematology, Islamabad Medical Complex (IMC), Pakistan, between July 2024 and December 2024. A total of 108 participants were included. Participants were stratified into diabetic (HbA1c > 6.5%) and control (HbA1c ≤ 6.5%) groups.

Results: Diabetic patients exhibited significantly higher serum ferritin (SF) (172.8 ± 54.6 ng/mL vs. 98.5 ± 35.2 ng/mL in controls and HbA1c levels (8.2 ± 1.1 vs. 5.8 ± 0.4; p < 0.001). Hemoglobin levels were lower in diabetics (13.0 ± 1.3 g/dl for males, 11.2 ± 1.1 g/dl for females) compared to controls (14.2 ± 1.1 ng/mL for males, 12.5 ± 1.0 ng/mL for females. Neither group had a significant correlation between serum ferritin and hemoglobin. The Chi-square test did not demonstrate a statistically significant association between serum ferritin levels and diabetes status (chi-square = 5.83, p = 0.054). However, a descriptive trend was noted: patients with high SF levels had an Odds Ratio of 6.875 compared to those with low ferritin levels.

Conclusion: Elevated SF levels in diabetic patients may reflect systemic inflammation or metabolic dysregulation, while reduced hemoglobin levels may indicate anemia-related abnormalities or comorbid condition; however, anemia of chronic disease was not specifically investigated in the present study. Serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels are independently altered in diabetes and do not correlate statistically.

Keywords: Diabetes, Ferritin, Hemoglobin

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Published

30-06-2026

How to Cite

1.
Anwar S, Iftikhar M, Butt M, Naeem A, Mahboob M, Waqar A. Correlation of serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels between normal and type 2 diabetic mellitus (DM) individuals. Pak J Pathol [Internet]. 2026 Jun. 30 [cited 2026 Oct. 28];37(2):69-73. Available from: https://pakjpath.com/index.php/Pak-J-Pathol/article/view/967

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Vol. 37 No. 2 (2026): PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY (QUARTERLY)

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Shazia Anwar, Huma Abdul Shakoor, Fatima Babar, Qurrat-ul-Ain Akhlaq, Masooma Raza

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