What is Ferritin?
your iron stores
Ferritin is the protein that stores iron in the body. It is the most useful single measure of iron status and drops well before Hb is affected by iron deficiency.
Ferritin reflects how much iron is stored in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It also rises during inflammation, so a normal ferritin during active inflammation does not rule out iron deficiency. Low values are common in menstruating women and endurance athletes.
Test facts
- Unit
- µg/L
- Sample
- Serum
- Fasting
- No fasting needed
- Turnaround
- 2 days
What does low Ferritin mean?
Low ferritin means depleted iron stores. Symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness, hair loss, brittle nails, and restless legs - often before Hb has dropped.
What does high Ferritin mean?
High ferritin can reflect inflammation, liver disease, alcohol use, or more rarely hereditary iron overload (haemochromatosis). Persistent elevation should be investigated.
Panels that measure Ferritin
- Essentials
- Deep Baseline
- Female Annual
- Male Annual
- Perimenopause
- Pre-Conception
- Thyroid Complete
- Thyroid + Autoimmune
- Iron Quick
- Iron & Anaemia
- Longevity Full
- Athlete Performance
More markers in the same area
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This is general information about the marker, not an assessment of your values and not medical advice. Last updated: May 2026.