Recommended iron levels

[fritzb43]

With regard to iron, there is really only one correct way to test a patient's four iron levels. This information is from The Johns Hopkins University & Medical Center in Maryland, USA.

Listed below are the four iron parameters, the "normal" limits for men and women, and the recommended levels for RLS patients.

Parameter Normal levels RLS patients

Serum (total) iron Men 65-175 ug/dL 60 or greater

Women 50-170 ug/dL

Per cent iron saturation Men 20-50% 16% or greater

Women 15-50%

Total Iron Binding Capacity Both 250-370 ug/dL less than 400

(TIBC)

Serum ferritin Men 18-270 ng/ml at least 100 (some may need much higher)

Women 18-160 ng/ml

NOTES:

1. Blood must be drawn from a patient for these 4 tests after a morning fast. The reason for this is that the serum iron varies widely with food. This number is used to calculate the per cent iron sat. Testing without fasting may result in two of the four results being inaccurate.

2. All four tests must be within the given ranges for RLS patients. If even one test is out of limits an iron status may be severe enough that the symptoms will continue.

[SueJohnson]

Ferritin can be much higher and be OK. Mine is 559 and I have heard up to 1000 is OK.

[Whippetmama]

I'd just like to add that the normal range given for these parameters is the normal range at Johns Hopkins. Results may vary depending on instrumentation used and methodology. They should still be ball-parked around those ranges. And by a morning fast, they mean nothing after midnight. You can have a few small sips of water/a few sips of black coffee/tea but that's all. ( I've been retired for a dozen years and things may have changed slightly but the heart of the matter will still be true. )