Objective: To understand the level of the dietary iron intake of Harbin people, and explore the relation between dietary iron intake and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Methods: Total of 215 NAFLD patients and 215 control population were selected in Harbin and a dietary survey was performed with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Then the dietary iron intake was calculated and the risk of iron for NAFLD was analyzed by logistic regression.
Results: The levels of the dietary intake of iron, heme iron and nonheme iron in patientswith NAFLD (30.76 ± 17.11 mg/d, 5.03 ± 5.99 mg/d and 25.73 ± 12.99 mg/d, respectively) , were significantly higher than those in normal control (22.33 ± 10.96 mg/d, 2.63 ± 3.52 mg/d mg/d and 19.70 ± 9.08 mg/ d, respectively, P < 0.05). The results from logistic analysis showed that high dietary intakesof iron and heme iron were risk factors for NAFLD (iron: OR = 5.5, 95% CI 2.061-14.45, P = 0.001; heme iron: OR = 6.1, 95% CI 2.562-14.63, P < 0.001). But dietary intake of nonheme iron was not a risk factor for NAFLD.
Conclusion: The high dietary iron intake was a risk factor for NAFLD, so iron intake, especially the dietary heme iron intake, for the patients with NAFLD should be appropriate.