Circulating Haemoglobin Levels and the Risk of Atherosclerosis in Asian Indian Populations - European Medical Journal

Circulating Haemoglobin Levels and the Risk of Atherosclerosis in Asian Indian Populations

Cardiology
Download PDF
Authors:
*Jeetesh V. Patel,1,2,3 Paul J. Flinders,3 Avni Vyas,1 Imogen Glover,3 Avithra J. Rajan,3 Dorairaj Prabhakaran,4 Deepak Bhatnagar,1 K. Srinath Reddy,4 Michael I. Mackness,1 J. Kennedy Cruickshank,1 Elizabeth A. Hughes,2 Paul N. Durrington1
Disclosure:

No potential conflicts of interest.

Received:
05.12.14
Accepted:
12.01.15
Citation:
EMJ Cardiol. ;3[1]:58-66. DOI/10.33590/emjcardiol/10312382. https://doi.org/10.33590/emjcardiol/10312382.
Keywords:
Coronary Heart Disease, dietary iron, Haemoglobin, oxidised LDL, paraoxonase, South Asian

Each article is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License.

Abstract

Background: The global burden of coronary heart disease (CHD) is estimated to be the highest on the Indian subcontinent. The pathophysiology of this increased risk is complex, multifactorial, and its  magnitude increases with migration from India to Britain. Haemoglobin disorders, which also frequent  this ethnic group, have been linked to cardiovascular disease. We investigated the impact of migration  and nutritional intake on haematological parameters amongst South Asians, with a focus on their  relation to molecular indices of oxidative atherogenesis.
Methods: Haematology, diet, oxidised low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and serum paraoxonase activity were measured in 230 migrant Indian Gujaratis (Britain), and 305 matched contemporaries living in rural  villages (India).
Results: Median levels of haemoglobin were higher amongst migrant men (14.5 µmol/l) compared to  rural men (15.0 µmol/l, P=0.004) and higher in migrant women (12.7 µmol/l) compared to rural women  (11.8 µmol/l, P<0.001). Irrespective of site, haemoglobin levels in South Asians were positively associated  with high blood pressure, high serum cholesterol, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, and increased CHD risk scores (P<0.001). Haemoglobin concentrations were higher amongst  migrants compared to rural contemporaries (P<0.001). In rural women, red cell volume was lower,  and co-ordinated with lower levels of oxidised LDL compared with migrant women (P<0.001). On  multivariate analysis, haemoglobin was independently associated with oxidised LDL (P=0.001) and paraoxonase activity (P=0.025).
Conclusion: Levels of haemoglobin were independently associated with indices of atherogenesis in our populations of rural and migrant Indians. Iron availability may underline the pathogenesis for the  oxidative modification of LDL in this group.

Please view the full content in the PDF above. 

Rate this content's potential impact on patient outcomes

Thank you!

Please share some more information on the rating you have given