Home › Categories › Iron Studies › Ferritin

Ferritin

Serum Ferritin Ferritin Level
Serum (SST) µg/L

About this test

Serum ferritin reflects body iron stores (1 µg/L ≈ 8–10 mg stored iron). The most sensitive and specific single test for iron deficiency. Also a positive acute-phase reactant — can be normal or elevated despite iron deficiency in the context of inflammation.

Reference Ranges

Sex Age Range Notes
All 0–5 yrs 12 – 150 Infant/young child
Female 18–50 yrs 15 – 200 Premenopausal female
Female ≥ 50 yrs 30 – 400 Postmenopausal female
Male ≥ 18 yrs 30 – 400 Adult male

Clinical Interpretation

Low / Decreased
Iron deficiency (<15 µg/L; <30 with elevated CRP). NICE threshold for treating iron deficiency: <30 µg/L.
High / Increased
Elevated — haemochromatosis, iron overload, liver disease, inflammation (acute-phase protein), malignancy, haemolysis. Very high (>1000) — haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), Still's disease.

Related Tests

Serum Iron Transferrin Saturation
Specimen
Serum (SST)
Reporting Unit
µg/L
Category
⚙️ Iron Studies

⚠ Clinical Note
Reference ranges are indicative. Always interpret results in the context of the individual patient and local laboratory reference intervals, which may vary.