A large study shows that too much iron in the body can lead to resistance in bacteria responsible for skin infections.
The virtues of iron for maintaining good health have been known for a long time: production of body energy, prevention of anemia… But when is it excess iron ? Researchers have analyzed this question in a large study involving a cohort of 500,000 adults from the United Kingdom. The data from this research published in the journal Plos One Medicine are from the UK Biobank, a large long-term study carried out in the United Kingdom.
The effect of the genetic increase in iron levels
“We used a statistical method, called Mendelian randomization, which uses genetic data to better estimate the causal effect of iron content on 900 diseases and conditions,” says Dr. Beben Benyamin, co-lead author of the study. and geneticist at the University of South Australia (Adelaide).
Previous research has shown that iron may promote the survival and growth of bacteria, but this theory has been the subject of several scientific refutations. This global study, however, is the first to use large-scale population data to investigate the link between high iron levels and bacterial skin infections.
“We were able to quickly and efficiently determine the effect of genetic iron elevation on hundreds of relevant clinical outcomes using data that has already been captured,” says Dipender Gill, from Imperial College London, doctor and co-lead author of the study.
Further research is needed
Indeed, if the study confirmed the ability of iron to protect against anemia as well as its role in reducing the risk of hypercholesterolemia and gallbladder cholesterolosis, it also revealed that high iron levels can cause skin infections.
“Our study highlighted the detrimental effect of higher iron levels on the risk of skin and soft tissue infections, including hands, arms, toes, feet and legs,” develop researchers. The next step will be to determine if directly manipulating iron levels improves health outcomes through clinical trials. The researchers also point out that the modifiable and variable nature of the iron content requires “further examination”.
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