Observational studyThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2024
Lower serum ferritin levels are associated with worse cognitive performance in aging.
Observational study in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Anemia, iron deficiency, and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer disease: clinical interpretation and dementia risk stratification.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Coffee and tea intake, circulating inflammatory biomarkers, and long-term risk of dementia: findings from two longitudinal studies.European journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Insights into the molecular mechanism of neurological diseases and their pathophysiological responses.Archives of toxicology · 2025Review
- Homeostasis and metabolism of iron and other metal ions in neurodegenerative diseases.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2025Review
- Regional high iron deposition is linked with cognitive impairments in peritoneal dialysis: a quantitative susceptibility mapping study.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesIron is important for neurogenesis, synaptic development, and neurotransmitter synthesis. Serum ferritin (SF) is a reliable marker for assessing iron stores. Therefore, we evaluated the cognitive function associated with SF levels. We also assessed brain iron content using R2* Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and its association with SF levels.
designData from three cross-sectional observational studies were used. Aging Imageomics (n = 1030) was conducted on aged subjects. Health Imageomics (n = 971) and IR0NMET (n = 175) were conducted in middle-aged subjects. SETTING AND
participantsParticipants were enrolled at Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital facilities. The three cohorts included a total of 2176 subjects (mean age, 52 years; 48% men). MEASUREMENTS: SF levels were measured by standard laboratory methods. Total Digits Span (TDS), and Phonemic Verbal Fluency (PVF) were used to assess executive function. Language function was assessed by semantic verbal fluency (SVF), attention by the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and memory by the Memory Binding Tests - Total Free Recall and Total Delayed Free Recall. MRI was used to assess the iron content of the brain by R2*.
resultsIn subjects aged 65 years or older, SF levels were associated with increased TDS (β = 0.003, p = 0.02), PVF (β = 0.004, p = 0.01), and SVF (β = 0.004, p = 0.002) scores. After stratification by sex, these findings were significant only in men, where SF was associated with increased TDS (β = 0.003, p = 0.01), PVF (β = 0.004, p = 0.03), and SVF (β = 0.004, p = 0.009) scores. In middle-aged subjects, SF was also associated with increased SVF scores (β = 0.005, p = 0.011). Lastly, in men, SF levels were negatively associated with R2*, a surrogate marker of brain iron content, in both the left frontal inferior opercular area (r = -0.41, p = 0.005) and the right frontal inferior opercular area (r = -0.44, p = 0.002).
conclusionsSF is significantly and positively associated with cognition. In older people with low SF levels, iron supplementation may be a promising therapy to improve cognition.
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