Background: Obesity is associated with increased lipid peroxidation. It has also been suggested that risk of lipid peroxida­tion increases with increasing body iron stores. The aim of this study was to examine the association of body iron status with the concentration of plasma malondialdehyde (P-MDA) as a marker of lipid peroxidation in obese and non-obese women.
Methods: In a case control study we investigated iron status by plasma ferritin, iron and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) meas­urements and lipid peroxidation by plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels measurements in 25 obese women and 25 non-obese women matched for age.
Results: Plasma ferritin levels were significantly higher in obese groups compared with control groups ( P < 0.001). Plasma TIBC levels were not different in both groups and plasma iron levels were significantly higher in obese groups ( P < 0.05). In obese groups, plasma MDA levels were significantly higher when compared with control groups ( P < 0.001). There were posi­tive correlation between body mass index and plasma MDA levels (r= 0.75, P < 0.0001). Plasma MDA levels were posi­tively correlated with plasma iron levels (r= 0.26, P = 0.001) and plasma ferritin levels (r= 0.39, P < 0.0001) but not with TIBC levels.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that obese menstruating women are at low risk of depleting iron stores and hence, increas­ing body iron elevates the CHD risk by promoting the lipid peroxidation. Therefore, iron fortification programs might be undesirable for such subjects.