NHS App test results explained
Iron studies and ferritin blood test explained
Iron studies look at how much iron you have stored and how much is moving in your blood. A GP often asks for them when an FBC shows low haemoglobin, or when symptoms such as tiredness and breathlessness suggest low iron. They can also look for too much iron.
Also printed as: Iron tests, Ferritin, Serum iron, TIBC, Transferrin saturation.
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) |
| Transferrin | The protein that carries iron through the blood. | 2–4 g/L |
| 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 United Kingdom
- Ferritin reflects your iron stores. It is the most useful single test for low iron, because stores fall before the iron in your blood does.
- Ferritin can also be raised by inflammation, infection or liver disease, so a high ferritin does not always mean too much iron.
- Serum iron changes through the day and from day to day, so it is read together with the other iron tests, not alone.
- Laboratories often measure either transferrin or TIBC, not both. Transferrin saturation is calculated from the results.
Call 999 in an emergency. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111. For questions about your test results, contact your GP surgery.
Keep your reports in one place
Take a photo or screenshot of your results, or upload the PDF, and Vita explains each number in plain words, suggests what to ask your GP, and keeps it with your past results. Vita does not connect to the NHS App or to any UK health record system, and its hospital connections are for US hospitals, not UK ones.
Vita Health Coach on the App StoreAsk it in ChatGPT
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 Iron studies result?”
Questions
Do I need to fast for iron tests?
Sometimes. You may be asked to fast for 12 hours, drinking water, and to have the test in the morning. Do not take iron tablets for 24 hours before, as they can push the result up.
Is low iron the same as anaemia?
No. Low iron means your stores are running down. Anaemia means fewer red cells or less haemoglobin. Low iron can develop for weeks before anaemia shows.
My ferritin is high. Does that mean too much iron?
Not necessarily. Inflammation, infection and liver problems can raise ferritin too. Your GP will look at the other iron results before deciding what it means.
More for United Kingdom
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 999. Read the medical disclaimer.