Lab results online in Canada, explained
Ferritin and iron test results explained (Canada)
Ferritin is a protein that holds iron inside the body. The small amount in your blood shows how much iron your body has stored. It is often tested to find the cause of anemia, especially low iron.
Also printed as: Ferritin, Iron Studies (Iron, TIBC, %Sat), Iron studies.
What is on the report
Typical adult ranges. Each lab sets its own, so the range printed next to your result is the one that counts.
| Test | What it is | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | The body's iron-storage protein; its level mirrors your iron reserves. | 24–307 ng/mL (women) 24–336 ng/mL (men) |
| Iron | The iron traveling in the blood when the sample was taken. | 6.6–26 µmol/L (women) 10.6–28.3 µmol/L (men) |
| TIBC | How much iron the blood's iron carrier could hold. | 45–81 µmol/L |
| Transferrin saturation | How full the blood's iron carrier is, as a percent. | 20–50 % |
Good to know in Canada
- Alberta lists iron tests as Ferritin and as Iron Studies (Iron, TIBC, %Sat). %Sat is the transferrin saturation.
- Low ferritin often means low iron. Reasons can include heavy periods, pregnancy, too little iron in the diet and bleeding in the gut.
- Ferritin can be high because of too much stored iron, and also with infection or inflammation, so it is read alongside other results.
- Each lab sets its own range. Use the range printed on your own report.
Call 911 in an emergency. For health advice that is not an emergency, call 811 in most provinces and territories. For questions about your results, contact your family doctor, nurse practitioner or the clinic that ordered the test.
Keep your reports in one place
Take a photo or screenshot of your lab report, or upload the PDF, and Vita explains each number in plain words, suggests what to ask your doctor, and keeps it with your past results. Vita does not connect to any Canadian health record system. Hospital connections are for US hospitals, not Canadian ones.
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Vita Health Coach also answers in ChatGPT. One tap opens ChatGPT with this question ready to send:
“What should I ask the doctor about my Ferritin and iron studies result?”
Questions
Why was ferritin tested?
It can help find the cause of anemia, check for inflammation, look for too much iron, or see whether iron treatment is working.
Do I need to prepare for a ferritin test?
In general there is nothing you need to do, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Can ferritin be high for reasons other than iron?
Yes. Infection and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis or lupus can raise ferritin, so your doctor looks at it with your other results and your health.
More for Canada
Sources
General information, not medical advice. VitaMedas is not connected with any government health service. Vita Health Coach explains; it never diagnoses. In an emergency, call 911. Read the medical disclaimer.