The Article in Brief

Serum transferrin saturation can indicate an overload of iron. Among people with elevated levels of serum transferrin saturation, eating large amounts of red meat and other iron-containing foods was associated with increased death rates. Specifically, people with elevated transferrin saturation who reported high dietary iron intake had a 2.9 times greater risk of death than those who had normal transferrin saturation levels and reported low dietary iron intake. People who had a high transferrin saturation and reported eating red meat seven or more times per week had a risk of death 2.26 times greater than those who had normal transferrin saturation and reported eating low amounts of red meat. Simple dietary restrictions may help to reduce the risk of death associated with high transferrin saturation.