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Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body and is measured in blood tests to determine iron levels. Low levels can indicate anemia, while high levels can indicate inflammation, liver disease, or hemachromatosis. Iron is obtained from food and supplements should be avoided before testing. Hemachromatosis can be treated with blood sampling or medication.
Ferritin is a protein found in most organisms, which serves as an iron storage agent. Its levels are often measured as part of a series of blood tests to determine a person’s iron levels. Most of the human body’s iron stores are in ferritin.
Without adequate iron, red blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen because they lack hemoglobin. Hemoglobin requires iron to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. A lack of red blood cells or a lack of hemoglobin is known as anemia. Having unbound iron is toxic, so the rest is bound to ferritin and is found in the bone marrow, liver, skeletal muscle, and spleen. Some is transported in the blood, and this serum ferritin level correlates with the body’s total iron stores.
You should not take iron supplements for 12 hours or vitamin B12 supplements for 48 hours before drawing blood for a ferritin blood test. Also, it is best to draw blood in the morning, as iron levels change throughout the day. They are highest right after waking up.
A normal range for females is 12-150 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) and between 12-300 ng/mL for males. If the level is low, even within the normal range, the person is likely not getting enough iron. For measuring iron deficiency anemia — a common reason for low ferritin levels — this is the most sensitive blood test.
Other reasons for low levels may include chronic bleeding, such as heavy menstrual periods or bleeding from the intestinal tract. This may be due to ulcers, colon polyps or cancer or hemorrhoids. A simpler reason may be a diet lacking adequate amounts of iron.
All of the iron in the body is obtained from food. Good sources include meat, fish, eggs and green leafy vegetables. A person needs more iron after bleeding or during adolescence, pregnancy, or breastfeeding. Healthy men rarely suffer from diet-induced iron deficiency anemia.
Elevated ferritin levels can be due to any inflammatory disease. They can also be due to liver disease, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, or infections, leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease. A diet with too much iron can also cause this condition, as can the abuse of iron supplements.
Very high levels, such as 1,000 ng/mL or more, can indicate hemachromatosis. In this condition, a person has a large amount of iron stored in the body. It can be genetic or due to certain types of anemia that destroy red blood cells. Thalassemia and alcoholism are other diseases that can cause this condition. Frequent blood transfusions can also cause it.
One way to relieve hemachromatosis is blood sampling. This will reduce your iron levels. There are also medicines to help get rid of excess iron.
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