Aim. Iron deficiency and altered ferritin levels elevate perioperative risks and postoperative outcomes in individuals with extreme obesity, particularly in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The aim of the study. The current study is aimed to evaluate ferritin levels and iron deficiency in candidates for bariatric surgery (BS), categorized by age, gender, and co-morbid conditions. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study with 221 BS applicants measured height, weight, blood pressure, ferritin, and iron levels. Relationships between biomarkers and comorbidities were analyzed using chi-square tests and Pearson’s correlation, following stratification of participants by age and gender. Results and discussion. The preoperative BMI was 43.8 kg/m², indicating extreme obesity, and the mean age was 36.5 years, as per the study. Male applicants exhibited 15.7% abnormalities in ferritin and 39.2% in serum iron, in contrast to female applicants. Ferritin levels below 30 ng/mL were correlated with iron deficiency in 40% of women and 19.7% of men. Gender had a greater impact on ferritin levels than age. The limited positive correlation of ferritin with blood iron (r = 0.202, p = 0.014) indicates that it may not serve as a dependable measure of iron status in individuals with overweight. Diabetes and hypertension exhibited no correlation with biomarker abnormalities. Conclusion. In BS candidates, gender influences biomarker status more significantly than age or comorbidities, with a prevalent deficiency in iron and ferritin. This underscores the advantages of personalized nutritional therapy prior to surgery and ongoing assessment thereafter.
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