Is it worth having a private iron panel done when the NHS results can be so different?

[Alanna012]

Whom should I believe?

A few months ago (April) I had the results above via Medichecks.

Last week these were the NHS results:

Serum Iron: 29.5umol/L (14.00 - 30.00umol/L)

Serum Ferritin 22 (13.00 - 150.00ug/L)

Transferrin Saturation 39 (20.00 - 50.00%)

TIBC 76 (50.00 - 72.00)

So according to NHS my iron levels are excellent and my ferritin dire.

There is no way I could rely on the private tests to make a case for help with iron from GP.

I realise it's a few months, but I can't believe my iron levels would have shot up so quickly especially as currently I am completely unable to supplement iron at all due to inflammation and historically have always had low levels.

I don't know if MMH offer iron panels but perhaps if they do their results would correlate better to NHS tests?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

MMH don't offer an iron panel, their nearest is the anaemia test which includes

Haemoglobin

Ferritin

Transferrin saturation

Active B12

Folate

whereas Medichecks offers the full iron panel same as your NHS test.

I've never been offered an iron panel (or any other nutrient test) by my GP surgery except once ferritin was tested which was a very different result from Medichecks ferritin result done 4 days later with their iron panel.

[Alanna012 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you SeasideSusie. I think I'll trst ferritin separately with MMH next time then.

Were you able to find out why there was such a disparity between your ferritin NHS and the ferritin Medichecks?

It's a bit unreliable and confusing. Should I add more iron rich foods in my diet or not?

I'm either in danger of getting too much iron (NHS)

Or desperately in need (Medichecks)

I guess another follow up Medichecks around now might present some answers, but I don't have the cash.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Alanna012]

Were you able to find out why there was such a disparity between your ferritin NHS and the ferritin Medichecks?

No, I didn't bother as I have been doing regular iron panels with Medichecks for a while (always sent to County Pathology lab). The NHS range was different at 15-300 whereas the Medichecks range was 13-150 so not comparable anyway. The NHS result was lower than the Medichecks result in both actual number, even though unit of measurement was the same, and percentage in range. I just don't think you can compare results from different labs accurately, particularly for iron.

When you think about it there are so many ranges for ferritin, some have a different range for females pre and post menopause, and different ranges for males and females, eg

Medichecks and Blue Horizon with County Pathology - 13-150 for females of any age

My GP surgery - 15-300 for all ages both male and female

Medichecks with Inuvi lab:

Males 16-60 years: 30-400 ug/L

Female's: 16-60 years: 30-150

Both >60 years: 30-650 

I don't understand why all the different ranges so how can you know which one to trust?

One member went to great lengths a couple of years ago to try and get to the bottom of why the disparity, you can check out her post linked to below, and within that post there are links to other posts she made during her quest to get an answer:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I really can't suggest what you should do, your results are poles apart so I have no idea which are anywhere near accurate.

[Alanna012 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes neither do I, it's ridiculous! Thanks, I will check out the link.