the optimal levels for iron and related measures are :
Serum iron
• 55 to 70% of the range
• higher end for men
Your serum iron is 45% of the way through the range, so lower than optimal, but not outrageously bad. It suggests that you need a little bit more iron.
Serum Transferrin
• Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron
• High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron
With the above info I always assume that Transferrin should be roughly mid-range.
Your Transferrin is 34% of the way through the range, which is in the lower half of the range, suggesting that you lack capacity for additional iron.
Transferrin Saturation
• optimal is 35 to 45%
• higher end for men
Your transferrin saturation is lower than optimal suggesting you could do with a bit more iron.
Ferritin
• Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation
• High level with low serum iron/low saturation indicates inflammation
or infection
• High level with high serum iron and low TIBC indicates excess iron
• Over range with saturation above 45% suggests hemochromatosis
Your level of 23% of the way through the rangeis lower than optimal. You would need more iron to raise ferritin.
Optimal for ferritin for someone with thyroid disease is often suggested to be either :
1) Mid-range or a little bit over i.e. about 50% - 60% of the way through the range.
2) For a reference range of 13 - 150, optimal for women is sometimes suggested to be 90 - 110 ug/L.
One thing to be aware of is that taking iron supplements can be problematic and must be done very carefully and only when essential. Taking iron when it is not justified is potentially dangerous, I've discussed some of the problems associated with taking iron in this thread :
In an iron panel the numbers I pay most attention to are iron, ferritin and transferrin saturation index.
TIBC/Transferrin being at odds with other iron-related results is quite common. None of your iron results are really bad, so I would suggest raising iron with food, if at all possible.
Some links on the subject of raising iron with food, and iron-rich food lists, can be found here:
If you ever need to know about supplementing iron with tablets or liquids see this reply I wrote to another member on the subject - ignore the stuff about pregnancy :
Well yea Hank you so much HB There’s a lot to take in here with my birdy brain but I shall read thoroughly abs try and make sense Of it All .. many thanks indeed 😊
With a result of 10.7 your result isn't too bad. We always suggest getting folate up to double figures, and your result has just made it. If the reference range has a lower and upper limit then aim to get the result into the upper half of the range.
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