Following forum advice on November 22 ferritin test results (ferritin: 29 ug/L (13-300) I took a full iron panel. These are the results:
Iron: 23.8 umol/L (6.6-26) - 88.7% through range
TIBC: 56 umol/L (41-77) 41.67% through range
Transferrin saturation: 43% (20-55) 65.71% through range
Ferritin: 48 ug/L (27-150) 17% through range
CRP 0.3 (0-5)
So Ferritin is slightly up since Novembe and I haven't actively changed my diet. (But perhaps Christmas eating has been meat-heavier than my usual diet, I'm not sure. )
My hands and feet have always been cold, but seem to be getting worse. I struggled to get any blood from a finger prick. But I managed the second time.
I'd like to understand a bit better what these results mean and what your advice would be? Thanks!
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Dandelions
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Your doctor may request that you fast for 12 hours prior to some iron blood tests. In this case, only water is permitted. You should not take any iron tablets for 24 hours before the test. Iron is absorbed rapidly from food or tablets, and can make your blood iron levels falsely high.
Examples of blood tests that may require you to fast include:
a fasting blood glucose test (used to test for diabetes) – you may be asked to fast for 8 to 10 hours before the test
an iron blood test (used to diagnose conditions such as iron deficiency anaemia) – you may be asked to fast for 12 hours before the test
For more information about a wider range of blood tests, go to Lab Tests Online.
So for the iron panel then yes you should have fasted but that is to ensure that no high iron foods were eaten close to the blood draw. Presumably you did the test in the morning and didn't eat a meal of steak or other red meat or liver or black pudding for breakfast.
There has always been a big difference between GP and Medichecks results for ferritin test results amd there has never really been a satisfactory explanation for why this should be. If doesn't help that the reference ranges are different.
These are optimal levels for an iron panel according to
• Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron
• High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron
Saturation
• optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men
Ferritin
Some experts say that the optimal level for thyroid function is 90-110ug/l.
You can see that your serum iron is higher than the suggested optimal level so iron supplementation is not a good idea as it will take your level over range.
TIBC is slighly lower than mid range and doesn't suggest iron supplements are needed.
Saturation again is higher than the suggested optimal level and again doesn't suggest supplementation.
So that leaves low ferritin which you may be able to raise through diet, eg liver, liver pate, black pudding, etc.
I should probably be alright done, I'm not in the habit of breakfasting on steak! It was probably yoghurt with granola.
So I shouldn't take iron supplements, because my iron is already high in range, and focus on diet. Does that mean that when eating these foods (liver etc) my iron won't get raised, but my ferritin will? Do these foods contain ferritin only (without iron)?
I remember when growing up in the Netherlands that 'appelstroop' (apple butter) was always considered a high iron food. Have you heard any results about this?
Could the low ferritin cause cold hand and poor circulation in hands and feet?
So I shouldn't take iron supplements, because my iron is already high in range, and focus on diet.
Yes.
Does that mean that when eating these foods (liver etc) my iron won't get raised, but my ferritin will?
Hopefully that will work for you, it did for me. My ferritin started to rise but it had little impact on the other results.
Do these foods contain ferritin only (without iron)?
No. Ferritin is your iron store - think of it as the pantry where you store your food. When the food runs out you go to the supermarket to restock. So ferritin stores iron.
However, there are some supplements that are supposed to be "ferritin" but I don't have a note of them. I believe Helvella does so I've tagged him and when he's around he may respond. I haven't used them so I don't know if they will improve ferritin only and not affect the other iron results.
helvella Do you have a link to your iron document, I can't find it at the moment, I'll make a note if you pop it on here, and make a note of the "ferritin" supplements too.
I remember when growing up in the Netherlands that 'appelstroop' (apple butter) was always considered a high iron food. Have you heard any results about this?
No I've not heard of that at all, but any information you care to share I'd love to hear about, it sounds lovely.
"vademecum" is widely used for medical information documents and websites in Spanish, Portuguese and some other language parts of the world. Just not familiar to those of us who have little knowledge of foreign languages.
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Iron results 
Iron blood test results are back, please could you take a look for me?
Help with results please
Iron levels -test results
