How serious is low ferritin?

A result of low ferritin is strong evidence of an iron deficiency. The body requires iron to make hemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that transfers oxygen from the lungs around the body. Without enough iron, a person may develop anemia.

What does high ferritin iron mean?

Higher than normal ferritin levels can mean you have too much iron in your body. Conditions that cause increased iron levels include liver disease, alcohol abuse, and hemochromatosis, a disorder that can lead to cirrhosis, heart disease, and diabetes.

What are dangerously low ferritin levels?

Serum ferritin is typically less than 10 ng/mL in severe iron deficiency associated with anemia. In iron deficiency without anemia, ferritin is typically in the range of 10-20 ng/mL.

What should my serum ferritin level be for iron overload?

Patients with mildly increased ferritin levels (300-1000 µg/L) in whom iron overload is unlikely (that is, normal transferrin saturation) and other causes (such as liver disease, inflammatory disorders) are not evident

What happens when ferritin and transferrin saturation are high?

Transferrin saturation is a lab measurement that accounts for both your blood iron levels and the how much room there is available for you to store more. So, if your ferritin is normal, and your transferrin saturation is high, then your blood is very saturated in iron, a sign of iron toxicity.

What happens to your ferritin when you take thyroid medication?

By giving these patients T4-only thyroid medication, their ferritin levels increased significantly. When they gave these patients T3-only thyroid medication, their ferritin levels increased even more, by 23-243%.

Which is the best treatment for iron overload?

Venesection is the mainstay of management in patients with iron overload, aiming to reach and maintain ferritin concentrations <50 µg/L. 14 Combined genetic testing and iron studies would also be offered to siblings. 15

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