Iron Profile
Iron studies separate the commonest anaemia in the world — iron deficiency — from the anaemias that merely look like it. Ferritin is the store; serum iron is what is circulating right now; TIBC and saturation describe how much of the transport capacity is being used.
This is an educational reading aid, not a diagnosis and not medical advice. Reference ranges differ between laboratories — always read the range printed on your own report. Nothing here can see you, your history or your medicines. Do not start, stop or change any treatment on the strength of this page: take your report to a qualified doctor.
Reference ranges reviewed by Dr. Mohan Gayenlast reviewed
Your values
Fill in only the ones on your report. Anything you leave blank is simply skipped.
The body’s iron store. The best single test for iron deficiency — with the caveat above.
Iron circulating in the blood at the moment the sample was taken.
How much iron the blood COULD carry. It rises when stores are empty — the body makes more transport.
The percentage of the transport capacity actually carrying iron.
Enter one or more values and your reading will appear here.
What this panel is easy to get wrong
- FERRITIN IS AN ACUTE-PHASE PROTEIN. Any infection, inflammation, liver disease or malignancy raises it — so a "normal" ferritin does not exclude iron deficiency in someone who is unwell. This is the single most misread result on this panel.
- Serum iron swings widely through the day and rises for hours after an iron tablet. A morning, fasting sample taken before the day’s dose is the comparable one.
- Iron supplements should not be started on the strength of a web page. Iron overload is also harmful, and unexplained iron deficiency in an adult needs its cause found, not just its number corrected.
Where these ranges come from: Commonly published adult intervals; WHO ferritin thresholds for iron deficiency (< 15 ng/mL in adults, and < 70 ng/mL where infection or inflammation is present) are noted in the text.
Where this is written from: This site is written from Indian clinical practice. Drug availability and brand names, vaccination schedules, national health programmes and some reference cut-offs differ between countries — a schedule or a threshold that is standard here may not be standard where you are. If you are reading outside India, check anything on this page against your own country’s guidance before you act on it.
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Serum iron, ferritin, TIBC and transferrin saturation.