Ferritin Test

Related tests: Serum iron; TIBC

At a Glance

Why Get Tested?

To learn about your the levels of iron stored in your body

When to Get Tested?

When your doctor suspects you may not have enough iron or too much iron in your system

Sample Required?

A blood sample taken from a vein in your arm

The Test Sample

What is being tested?

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron for later use by your body. The amount of ferritin in your blood stored reflects the amount of iron stored.

Iron is mainly stored in ferritin, but also in another protein caled haemosiderin. Ferritin and haemosiderin are present mostly in the liver, but also in the bone marrow, spleen, and muscles. Small amounts of ferritin also circulate in the blood. In healthy people, most iron is stored in ferritin (an estimated 70% in men and 80% in women) and smaller amounts are stored in haemosiderin.

If the iron levels in your body fall over a long period of time, these iron stores can become depleted.

How is the sample collected for testing?

A blood sample is taken by needle from a vein in your arm.

NOTE: If undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles: Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety, Tips on Blood Testing, Tips to Help Children through Their Medical Tests, and Tips to Help the Elderly through Their Medical Tests.

Another article, Follow That Sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.

The Test

How is it used?

The ferritin test is requested to see how much iron your body has stored for future use. The test is done, usually with an iron test and the total iron binding capacity (TIBC), unbound iron binding capacity (UIBC), or transferrin saturation, to learn about iron levels in your blood.

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When is it requested?

If a blood count indicates that your haemoglobin and haematocrit are low, especially if your red blood cells are smaller and paler than normal ('microcytic' and 'hypochromic'), this indicates that you have anaemia due to iron deficiency. Ferritin and other iron tests can be used to confirm the diagnosis.

The test may also be requested when your doctor suspects you have too much iron, for example in haemochromatosis (a disease in which too much iron is absorbed from the diet).

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What does the test result mean?

Ferritin levels are low in long-term iron deficiency, or if your body's protein levels are very low, as in some cases of malnutrition.

Ferritin levels are high in states of long-term iron overload, especially in haemochromatosis.

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Is there anything else I should know?

Ferritin is normally found mainly inside of the cells in the body, with only a small amount in the blood. When there is damage to organs that contain ferritin (especially the liver, spleen, and bone marrow), ferritin levels can become raised even though the total amount of iron in the body is normal. Ferritin levels may not be particularly helpful if measured in people with liver disease, long-term infections, cancer, or autoimmune diseases (which are all associated with organ damage).

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Common Questions

1. Is iron deficiency the same thing as anaemia? What are the symptoms?

Iron-deficiency anaemia is the most severe form of iron deficiency (low iron levels). Relatively mild iron deficiency, which may cause no effects at all, is referred to as 'iron depletion'. If a person is otherwise healthy, symptoms seldom appear before the haemoglobin in your blood drops below a certain level (100g per litre). Some signs that your body is low in iron include tiredness and heart palipitations.

As iron levels continue to be fall, symptoms may include:

Shortness of breath and dizziness
If the anaemia is severe, angina (chest pain), headache, and leg pains may occur
Children may have learning (cognitive) disabilities.
Besides the general symptoms of anaemia, there can be certain symptoms if you have had a long-term case of iron deficiency. These can include a burning sensation in the tongue or a smooth tongue, sores at the corners of the mouth, pica (cravings for specific substances, such as liquorice, chalk, or clay), and spoon-shaped finger- and toe-nails.

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2. Does anaemia due to iron deficiency happen quickly or does it take a long time?

Iron deficiency anaemia comes on gradually. When your rate of iron loss exceeds the amount of iron you absorb from your diet, the first thing that occurs is that iron stores are used up. In this stage, ferritin will be low, but iron and TIBC are usually normal and there is no anaemia. As iron deficiency worsens, blood iron levels fall, TIBC, UIBC and rise, and red blood cells may start to become small and pale, but there is still an adequate number of red blood cells. With prolonged or severe iron deficiency, anaemia develops.

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3. What are signs of iron overload in my system?

The most common symptom is pain, as iron accumulates in your body, usually in your . Other symptoms include tiredness and lack of energy, abdominal pain (pain around the stomach area), loss of sex drive, and heart problems. Some people, however, have no symptoms of this condition.

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4. What foods contain the most iron?

If laboartory tests show that you are anaemic, eating the right diet can help. Some good choices for an iron-rich diet include: lean meats, liver, eggs, green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale), wheat germ, whole grain breads and cereals, raisins, and molasses. If you have been diagnosed as having iron deficiency anaemia, or you are pregnant or breast feeding, iron in the form of vitamin pills or tablets is usually needed to provide the extra iron needed in these states.

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5. My friend told me I can take too much iron — is that right?

Unless you have iron deficiency or eat a very poor diet, you probably don't need extra iron supplements. If you take in much more iron than is recommended, you may develop , which causes a rise in blood iron and ferritin levels. If you have an inherited disorder called haemochromatosis, taking extra iron can cause more rapid iron accumulation and possibly accelerate the rate of damage to your organs.

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NOTE: This article is based on research that utilizes the sources cited here as well as the collective experience of the Lab Tests Online Editorial Review Board. This article is periodically reviewed by the Editorial Board and may be updated as a result of the review. Any new sources cited will be added to the list and distinguished from the original sources used.