Approximately two thirds of the total iron in our bodies can be found in the oxygen carrying protein of red blood cells known as hemoglobin according to the national institutes of health office of dietary supplements. Serum ferritin concentration a measure of the bodys iron stores is currently the most efficient and cost effective test for diagnosing iron deficiency 11 13. Low levels of iron in your blood can be caused by blood loss poor diet or a problem with your bodys. To help diagnose iron deficiency anemia your doctor will consider your cbc hemoglobin blood iron levels mcv and ferritin levels to determine if you have iron deficiency anemia or another type of anemia. A serum iron test determines how much iron is in your blood. This test measures the amount of iron in your blood.
67 of the bodys iron is inside hemoglobin in red blood cells other iron is bound to transferrin in blood or ferritin in bone marrow or stored in more body tissues. Morning iron is higher than the rest of the days iron levels by 30. Most well nourished people in industrialized countries have 4 to 5 grams of iron in their bodies 38 mg ironkg body weight for women and 50 mg ironkg body for men. Because serum ferritin decreases during the first stage of iron depletion it can identify low iron status before the onset of ida 7 9 14. Serum ferritin is often referred to as the bodys place for storing iron. However in otherwise healthy individuals the relative amount of ferritin found in serum is an accurate surrogate measure for iron stored in body organs.
The essential tests that check blood iron levels include a hemoglobin test a serum iron test a total. Definitions and descriptions hemoglobin measures functional iron. Normal levels are 40 to 300 for men and 20 to 200 for women. The medical text wintrobes clinical hematology states that a normal level is approximately 70 to 200 micrograms per deciliter noted as mcgdl. Serum ferritin measurements range from about 15200 ngml for women and 20300 ngml for men. Transferrin iron saturation percentage normal range.
How is iron in the blood measured. This test tells how much transferrin a protein is. When your iron level is low your body will. A normal range for iron in the blood as reported by medlineplus is 60mcgdl to 170 mcgdl4. This test measures how much iron is stored in your body. This iron delivers oxygen to cells and carries carbon dioxide away from cells.
Types of iron blood tests serum iron. 35 of the total iron in the body is inside muscles as myoglobin. However the normal range for serum iron often differs from one laboratory to another and may vary according to your age and sex. Although laboratory ranges vary most are close to these values. Total iron binding capacity tibc. Is a test that measures the iron level in your blood.