Ferritin
A protein that stores iron in your cells. The small amount in your blood reflects how much iron your body has in reserve.
AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called FERRLOINC 2276-4
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The usual range for Ferritin depends on sex. Choose female or male above to see where you stand.
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What it is
Ferritin is the protein your body uses to store iron, mostly in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. A small amount also circulates in your blood, and in most people that amount rises and falls with the size of the iron reserve. Doctors often check it when someone is tired, has anemia, or has other iron results outside the range. Ferritin also goes up with inflammation, so a normal or high result doesn't always mean iron stores are full.
Why it matters
Ferritin is usually the earliest blood sign that iron stores are running low, often before hemoglobin falls or serum iron changes. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A very high ferritin more often points to inflammation or liver problems than to too much iron, though true iron overload does happen. Ferritin is easiest to interpret next to a blood count and transferrin saturation.
If it’s low
A low ferritin means your iron reserve is running low. It is common, especially in people who have periods, and it can happen before you become anemic. Because inflammation pushes ferritin up, a low value is a dependable sign of low iron, but a normal value can sometimes hide it.
Common causes
- Heavy or long periods
- Pregnancy, when your body needs more iron
- Not enough iron in the diet
- Poor iron absorption, for example with celiac disease or after some stomach or bowel surgery
- Slow bleeding in the stomach or bowel
- Frequent blood donation
What can help
- Talk with your clinician about the cause, since finding where iron is being lost matters as much as replacing it
- Ask whether iron treatment is right for you and how your level should be followed
- Eat iron-rich foods such as meat, fish, beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereals
- If there is no clear reason for low iron, ask whether a check for a source of bleeding makes sense
If it’s high
A high ferritin is common, and it more often reflects inflammation, fatty liver or alcohol use than too much iron. Less often it is a sign of iron overload. Your clinician can sort these out with transferrin saturation, liver tests and your history.
Common causes
- Inflammation or infection, including a recent illness
- Fatty liver, obesity or metabolic syndrome
- Regular alcohol use or other liver conditions
- Autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
- An overactive thyroid
- Frequent blood transfusions or recent iron treatment
- Iron overload conditions, including the inherited condition hemochromatosis
- Some cancers and blood disorders
What can help
- Ask whether transferrin saturation and an inflammation marker such as CRP can be checked alongside it
- If fatty liver or alcohol may be involved, ask which lifestyle changes would help
- Review any iron or multivitamin supplements with your clinician
Usual ranges
What labs print as the reference range, by who was tested. Ranges differ a little between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against.
The usual range depends on sex and age. Choose women or men to see the one that applies.
- Men, 20–5930–400 ng/mL
Sources: Labcorp, ARUP Laboratories, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (NIH), Mayo Clinic Laboratories
- Men, 60+31–409 ng/mL
Source: ARUP Laboratories
- Women, 20–5915–150 ng/mL
Sources: Labcorp, ARUP Laboratories, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (NIH), Mayo Clinic Laboratories
- Women, 60+11–328 ng/mL
Source: ARUP Laboratories
Children and teens 10 ranges
- Men, 12–1916–124 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Women, 12–1915–77 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Men, 6–1116–77 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Women, 6–1115–79 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Men, 1–512–64 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Women, 1–512–71 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Men, 0.5–012–95 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Women, 0.5–012–110 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Men, under 0.513–273 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
- Women, under 0.512–219 ng/mL
Source: Labcorp
See Ferritin by age and sex, with the U.S. survey numbers where they exist.
WHO 2020 ferritin cut-offs, men (apparently healthy)
- Iron deficiencybelow 15 ng/mL
- Between the cut-offs15 to under 200 ng/mL
- Possible risk of iron overload200 and above ng/mL
WHO 2020 ferritin cut-offs, women who still have periods (apparently healthy)
- Iron deficiencybelow 15 ng/mL
- Between the cut-offs15 to under 150 ng/mL
- Possible risk of iron overload150 and above ng/mL
WHO 2020 ferritin cut-offs, women after menopause (apparently healthy)
- Iron deficiencybelow 15 ng/mL
- Between the cut-offs15 to under 200 ng/mL
- Possible risk of iron overload200 and above ng/mL
British Society of Gastroenterology 2021 thresholds for iron deficiency in adults
- Iron stores absentbelow 15 ng/mL
- Low iron stores15 to under 30 ng/mL
- Below the suggested 45 cut-off30 to under 45 ng/mL
- At or above the suggested 45 cut-off45 and above ng/mL
If this applies to you
Ferritin means a little more for some people. Open the one that fits you.
Had weight-loss surgery
Low iron is common after weight-loss surgery, from eating less iron, absorbing less of it and, for some women, periods. It can happen after any operation, even with routine supplements. ASMBS suggests checking iron within 3 months of surgery, every 3 to 6 months until 1 year, then yearly.
Celiac disease or IBD
Ferritin is the main test for iron stores, but inflammation pushes it up. BSG notes that in IBD with inflammation, a ferritin up to 100 µg/L (the same as 100 ng/mL) may still reflect low iron, and transferrin saturation can help when ferritin is unclear.
Endurance athlete
Ferritin shows how much iron the body has in reserve. In athletes, stores can run low from eating too little, and from higher needs with altitude training, menstrual blood loss and foot strike (red cells breaking up from the pounding of running).
Hemochromatosis or iron overload
Ferritin shows how much iron is stored and is the main number followed during treatment. Fatty liver, alcohol-related liver disease, hepatitis C and inflammation can raise it too, so a high ferritin alone doesn't mean iron overload.
Low iron or anemia
BSG calls ferritin the single most useful marker of iron deficiency anemia. AGA recommends a cutoff of 45 ng/mL rather than 15 when ferritin is used to confirm low iron in someone with anemia. BSG notes that most labs print a lower limit between 15 and 30 µg/L (the same numbers in ng/mL), so 45 sits above it.
Perimenopause or menopause
In 2026, NICE withdrew its old advice against ferritin tests for heavy periods, saying it wasn't justified given the risk of iron deficiency in people with heavy bleeding.
Pregnant or postpartum
Iron needs rise in pregnancy, and the CDC notes that iron stores are hard to keep up in the second and third trimesters without iron supplements. The USPSTF notes there is no agreed ferritin level that marks iron deficiency, and the CDC notes it is unclear whether a normal result early in pregnancy predicts iron status later on.
Vegan or vegetarian
Vegetarians eat about as much iron as meat-eaters, but their iron stores (ferritin) are usually lower, the Academy notes. The body absorbs more iron from plant foods when stores are low.
On a GLP-1 medicine
Iron is one of the nutrients of concern a 2025 joint advisory names for people eating much less on these medicines. It suggests extra lab tests before starting for people with certain histories, such as weight-loss surgery or a past deficiency.
How common is your level?
NHANES describes the US civilian, non-institutionalized population, not a 'healthy' reference group. People with disease, on medication, fasting or not (except fasting-subsample markers), smokers and so on are all included. A percentile says where a value sits among Americans of that sex and age, not whether it is normal.
Use the left and right arrow keys to read each age. Shift moves five years.
Reference data derived from CDC/NCHS National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), cycles 2017-March 2020 (pre-pandemic). Analysis by bloodtesttracker.com; not endorsed by CDC, NCHS or HHS.
Explore Ferritin by age and sex: every percentile as a table, with a download.
What can affect your result
- Sex and age: levels are lower on average in people who have periods, and some labs split the range again at age 60
- Inflammation, infection, liver disease, alcohol use and obesity raise ferritin independent of iron stores
- Pregnancy: ferritin tends to fall late in pregnancy
- Recent blood transfusion, iron infusion or blood donation
- Biotin supplements, which can interfere with some assays
- Assay method: ranges differ by lab, and results from different methods shouldn't be compared directly
- Ancestry: Mayo Clinic Laboratories notes higher average levels in some groups, including people of African and Asian ancestry, for reasons that aren't fully understood
- High-dose biotin supplements can interfere with some immunoassays. Labcorp advises stopping biotin at least 72 hours before the draw; ask your clinician before changing any supplement.
- Inflammation, infection, liver disease, alcohol use and obesity raise ferritin without a change in iron stores, which can hide iron deficiency.
- Ferritin tends to fall late in pregnancy even when bone marrow iron is present, so it is harder to interpret then.
- A recent blood transfusion, iron infusion or blood donation changes the result.
- Different assays give different numbers. Labcorp advises using one method consistently when tracking results over time.
- Samples taken from people treated with mouse monoclonal antibodies can give false results on some assays.
Any time of day, though a morning draw is usual when ferritin is ordered with an iron panel. Iron stores change slowly, over weeks to months, as iron is lost or rebuilt.
When to talk to a clinician
Talk with a clinician if your ferritin is below about 15 ng/mL (the WHO cut-off for iron deficiency in healthy adults), especially with tiredness, shortness of breath or a pounding heartbeat. Also talk with one soon if it is well above your lab's range, or above your lab's range along with high transferrin saturation, joint pain or liver tests outside the range. WHO uses 500 ng/mL as a level that calls for further checks in adults who are unwell. Chest pain, fainting or severe shortness of breath need urgent care.
Questions you could ask
- Is my lab's range the right comparison for my age and sex?
- Does my ferritin change how you read my other iron results?
- Could inflammation, my liver or alcohol be raising my ferritin?
- Should we check transferrin saturation or CRP alongside it?
- Should we recheck it in a few months?
- What might be causing my iron stores to run low?
Questions people ask
My ferritin is in my lab's normal range, but I feel tired. Could my iron still be low?
Possibly. Lab ranges are wide, and guidelines use different cut-offs. The WHO uses below 15 ng/mL for healthy adults, UK guidelines (BSG) note that 45 ng/mL has been suggested as the best trade-off, and the WHO says values below 70 ng/mL may still point to low iron when inflammation is present. MedlinePlus notes that the lower the ferritin, even within the normal range, the more likely iron stores are low. Tiredness has many causes, so it's worth talking through with your clinician.
Can ferritin be high without too much iron in my body?
Yes, and this is common. Ferritin rises with inflammation, infection, fatty liver, alcohol use and some other conditions. Transferrin saturation often helps tell the difference, because it is often normal or low when inflammation is the cause and high when iron is really building up. Your clinician can put it in context.
Why are the ranges different for men and women?
People who have periods lose iron each month, so their stores are lower on average. Labcorp lists 30–400 ng/mL for adult men and 15–150 ng/mL for adult women. ARUP's ranges for people 60 and older are closer together, at 31–409 ng/mL for men and 11–328 ng/mL for women.
Can biotin supplements change my ferritin result?
They can on some lab methods. Labcorp advises stopping biotin at least 72 hours before the blood draw. Ask your clinician or the lab before you change any supplement, and tell whoever draws your blood that you take biotin.
How do I convert ferritin units?
ng/mL and µg/L are the same number, so 100 ng/mL is 100 µg/L. A few labs report ferritin in pmol/L. Because the size of the ferritin molecule varies with how much iron it holds, ask your lab how its pmol/L result compares with ng/mL rather than converting it yourself.
Show the science and sources
Units
- 1 ng/mL = 1 ng/mL
- 1 ng/mL = 1 µg/L
Is a change real?
Ferritin naturally varies about 16.9% from test to test in the same healthy person. Between two results from the same lab, a rise of 61% or more, or a fall of 38% or more, is unlikely to be day-to-day noise or lab variation (95% reference change value). Source: Biological variation of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, serum vitamin B12, folate and ferritin in Turkish healthy subjects (Ozkanay H et al.).
For clinicians and researchers
Ferritin is a 24-subunit shell of roughly 440–450 kDa that can hold about 4,000–5,000 iron atoms (Mayo). Serum ferritin is a small, largely iron-poor secreted fraction that tracks storage iron indirectly, and it is an acute-phase reactant raised by inflammation, liver disease, malignancy and metabolic syndrome. Assays are immunoassays (Labcorp: Roche electrochemiluminescence; Mayo: Beckman two-site immunoenzymatic; ARUP: chemiluminescence), and intervals differ by method (adult male upper limit 336 µg/L at Mayo versus 400 ng/mL at Labcorp). Thresholds depend on context. WHO (2020) uses <15 µg/L for iron deficiency in apparently healthy people and <70 µg/L in adults with infection or inflammation (conditional recommendation, low certainty), and treats >150 µg/L (menstruating women) or >200 µg/L (men and non-menstruating women) as a possible iron overload risk, with >500 µg/L in non-healthy adults prompting evaluation. BSG (2021) treats <15 µg/L as absent stores and <30 µg/L as low stores, notes that 45 µg/L has been suggested as the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity, and that a value above 150 µg/L makes absolute iron deficiency unlikely even with inflammation. In CKD it defines absolute iron deficiency as TSAT ≤20% with ferritin ≤100 µg/L (≤200 in hemodialysis), and in heart failure it describes iron deficiency as ferritin <100 µg/L and/or TSAT <20%. KDIGO (2012) suggests an iron trial in anemic CKD when TSAT is ≤30% and ferritin is ≤500 ng/mL. For hemochromatosis, AASLD (2011) advises HFE testing in patients with suggestive symptoms, findings or family history when TS is ≥45% or ferritin exceeds the upper limit, and links ferritin >1,000 µg/L with cirrhosis risk in C282Y homozygotes. EASL (2022) uses ferritin >200 µg/L with TSAT >45% in women, and ferritin >300 µg/L with TSAT >50% in men and postmenopausal women, as provisional iron overload in C282Y homozygotes. Its treatment targets (<50 µg/L, then <100 µg/L) are therapy goals, not wellness targets.
LOINC 2276-4 (primary), 20567-4, 14723-1, 35209-6, 24373-3. Specimen: serum-or-plasma.
Sources
- Ferritin (test 004598), Labcorp
- Pediatric Testing Reference Ranges, Labcorp (2022)
- Ferritin (test 0070065), ARUP Laboratories
- FERR: Ferritin, Serum, Mayo Clinic Laboratories
- Ferritin blood test, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (NIH)
- WHO guideline on use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations, World Health Organization (2020)
- British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in adults, Gut (2021)
- KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease, Kidney International Supplements (2012)
- Diagnosis and management of hemochromatosis: 2011 practice guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Hepatology (2011)
- EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on haemochromatosis, Journal of Hepatology (2022)
- SI Conversion Calculator (AMA Manual of Style), American Medical Association / Oxford University Press
AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.