Help decoding iron blood test results?

[Summertimeflowers]

Hi,

so I had some routine blood tests taken last week due to generally feeling really crappy and run down and my iron results have baffled me a little bit. My ferritin is 30 which is the low end of normal, which hasn’t surprised me at all, but my transferrin saturation index is at 45% which is apparently high? Does anyone know what this could mean? I’m due a review with my GP tomorrow but I’ve done a little Google search (I’m a worrier) and I can’t get my head round what it could mean? I’m also “not anaemic” as my HB is 136. Really confused and of course worried.

thanks!

Bump! Anyone?

When ferritin (a storage protein for iron) is low, in VERY rudimentary terms your liver compensates by increasing transferrin and serum iron. Low ferritin with normal haemoglobin is iron deficiency without anaemia (IDWA). A ferritin of 30 is deficient, though your GP may not be fully up to date on the latest guidelines which state that in women ferritin needs to be higher than the previous recommended minimum "in range" of >30.

You can have all the symptoms of anaemia when you have low ferritin, even if your haemoglobin is normal/on the high side.

If your GP says everything is fine you can buy ferrous fumarate from the chemist and take one tablet (away from tea, coffee and fatty foods) per day - it may take months but you really want ferritin >75.

In women, there can be various reasons for low ferritin inc: heavy periods, childbirth, endurance sport, autoimmune disease to name a few - it can indicate blood loss or poor absorption from diet. GP might want to investigate further but it's not uncommon in women and I wouldn't worry too much as your Hb is normal.

Thanks for responding @hashisucks i did have a baby 9 months ago and I was anaemic during my 3rd trimester, could this have something to do with it?

Childbirth can be a factor although mild anaemia in pregnancy is pretty normal.

@hashisucks “A ferritin of 30 is deficient, though your GP may not be fully up to date on the latest guidelines which state that in women ferritin needs to be higher than the previous recommended minimum "in range" of >30.”

My local “centre of excellence” hospital still says the normal range is 10 - 250. Fortunately my GP suggested OTC ferrous sulphate when my result was 17 and my level is now 32. Is ferrous sulphate similar to ferrous fumarate?

They are both iron salts that will increase your levels.

Some people have difficulty taking one over the other.

Oh and it takes months for you ferritin levels to increase.

You’d probably be better getting advice from your GP - transferrin and transferrin saturation are not the same thing so the above advice may not give you all the answers your looking for.

I wonder if I can be cheeky and ask the same question, I had very high trans whatever it is and the GP repeated the tests and isnt concerned although I havent seen them (the results below are the ones I have seen)

The TIBC, UIBC and Transferrin are all out of range, but GP not concerned

Iron Status Iron 22.2 umol/L (Range: 5.8 - 34.5)
TIBC 40.4 umol/L (Range: 45 - 81)
UIBC 18.2 umol/L (Range: 24.2 - 70.1)
Transferrin Saturation 54.9 % (Range: 20 - 50)
Ferritin 80.5 ug/L (Range: 13 - 150)

Haemoglobin in range but at the lower end, again GP not concerned

Haemoglobin 126 g/L (Range: 120 - 160)

Sorry transferrin was a typo. Agree see GP who may investigate further eg for haemochromatosis. Not sure where you are but there is a fairly high incidence of that in parts of Scotland and NI.

And yes you need advice from a GP as always with medical issues but in my experience low ferritin was fobbed off and minimised until I became v ill and needed infusion. Saying that 10 is acceptable is completely outdated. Luckily my OH was a medic who has to have a good understanding of it in his specialty and intervened.