Ferritin reflects the iron your body has in store. At The Wellness in Marylebone it costs from £350, as the Core Wellness panel, with results in 24 to 48 hours and a doctor to explain the result.
Ferritin reflects the iron your body has in store. Iron studies add serum iron, total iron binding capacity and transferrin saturation, which show how much iron is moving in the blood.
Ferritin is in the Core panel, and the full set of iron studies is in the Advanced panel.
A doctor may ask for it if you are tired, breathless on stairs, losing hair or have heavy periods, and for vegetarians, endurance athletes and anyone recently pregnant.
Iron can run low long before the blood count shows anaemia, which is why ferritin is often checked on its own.
Have the sample taken in the morning if you can, and stop iron supplements for 24 hours before unless your doctor says otherwise.
Yes. Ferritin rises with inflammation, infection and liver strain, so a high result is read alongside the other iron studies and the history.
They are in the Advanced panel, and the Core panel has ferritin alone.
Choose a panel and a time for the draw in clinic. A doctor reads the result before it reaches you, and rings or writes with what it means and what to do next. Or ring 020 3951 3429.