Iron blood test results from Medichecks - please help!

[lilacbunny]

Can someone help translate the iron blood test results I have had back? Not sure if they are ok or not.

Iron 19.9 mol/L (range 6.6 - 26)

TIBC 66 mol/L (range 41-77)

Transferrin Saturation 30% (range 20-55)

Ferritin 79 ug/L (range 13-150)

Thanks for your help.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

lilacbunny

Optimal iron panel levels according to rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_... are:

Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is 68.56% through range

Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is 30%

Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) or Transferrin: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is 69.44% through range

Ferritin: Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation - yours is 48.18% through range so almost mid-range which is what we generally say here is the recommended level

[lilacbunny in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Seaside Susie, sorry didn’t see reply till now. Thank you for your help. So does this mean then because of high in range TIBC and low saturation that I need to take iron ?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to lilacbunny]

lilacbunny

I'm afraid I can't advise you. Iron is so complicated, I have just given information of optimal levels.

However, if those were my results this is how I'd interpret them.

1) Serum iron is very good, in fact it's higher than optimal for a female (I'm assuming that you're female, your profile doesn't say). This would suggest that if you take iron supplements it will take your serum iron even higher (and too much iron is as bad as too little).

2) Saturation is a bit lower than optimal for a female but it's not dire.

3) Your TIBC is almost 70% through range. I would think half way through range is preferable, but it's not top of the range so I don't know if this counts as high in range.

4) Your ferritin is close to half way through range and that's what's normally recommended. Some experts say that for optimal thyroid function 90-110 is a good level.

I think I'd take more notice of serum iron than TIBC.

If those were my results I wouldn't be taking an iron supplement.

[lilacbunny in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok, that all makes sense thank you very much for your advice 😀👍