Patient education: Iron studies panel (The Basics)

What is an iron studies panel? — This is a group of blood tests that show if the body has enough or too much iron. The word "panel" means that several tests are done on the same blood sample.

Iron comes from your diet. The body needs iron to make certain proteins. The main one is called "hemoglobin." Hemoglobin helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

An iron studies panel measures:

●Ferritin – This is a protein the body uses to store iron. Sometimes, a ferritin test is done by itself, and sometimes, it is done with other tests.

●Iron – This is the amount of iron in the blood. It is not the same thing as iron stores. It is only used to figure out if the body needs more iron than it's getting.

●Transferrin or total iron-binding capacity ("TIBC") – Transferrin is a protein the body uses to collect iron and bring it where it's needed. TIBC is another way of measuring this. When iron stores are low, transferrin (or TIBC) increases.

●Transferrin saturation ("TSAT") – This is calculated based on iron and TIBC (or transferrin). It is used to figure out if the body is getting enough iron.

Why might I get an iron studies panel? — Doctors can do this test:

●To check for "iron deficiency" – This is when the body has too little iron. It can happen if you are not getting enough iron from your diet, if your body cannot absorb iron, or if you lose blood. Iron deficiency can happen over time or all at once (if you lose a lot of blood). When iron deficiency is severe, it can lead to anemia. Anemia is when you have too few red blood cells or if your hemoglobin is too low.

●To check for "iron overload" – This is when too much iron builds up in the body. In some cases, this is due to a genetic condition called "hereditary hemochromatosis." It can also happen if a person has a lot of blood transfusions, certain blood disorders, or liver disease.

●To check for other rare conditions that cause iron to be high

●If you are being treated for iron deficiency or iron overload – For example, if you are taking an iron supplement or getting treatment to remove iron from your body, your doctor might test your iron level. This can help show if treatment is working.

How do I prepare for an iron blood test? — For this test, you need to get a "blood draw." Your doctor or nurse will tell you where to go for this. They might tell you to avoid eating, drinking, and taking any iron supplements for 8 to 12 hours before the test.

It might help to wear a short-sleeve shirt to your blood draw appointment. This makes it easier for the person drawing your blood to get to your arm.

What happens during a blood draw? — For the blood draw, a needle is used to take a small amount of blood from your arm (figure 1). Collecting the blood only takes a few minutes. The blood is then tested in a lab.

Tell the person who takes your blood:

●If you take "blood thinner" medicines or if you have a bleeding problem – They will make sure that your bleeding is under control before you leave.

●If you have a latex allergy – Some of the supplies used for blood draws might contain latex.

●If you have a preferred arm to use

Most of the time, getting blood taken does not cause problems. You might have a little soreness or bruising where the needle went in.

What do my results mean? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your results, and will contact you with the results. Or if you use an online "patient portal," you might get an alert there when your results are ready.

If any of your results are too high or too low, your doctor or nurse will talk to you about what to do next. They might need to do more tests to figure out the cause.

If you do have a health problem, your doctor will work with you to come up with a plan for treatment.

More on this topic

Patient education: Ferritin test (The Basics)
Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron (The Basics)
Patient education: Hemochromatosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Restless legs syndrome (The Basics)
Patient education: Anemia of inflammation (anemia of chronic disease) (The Basics)

Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Hereditary hemochromatosis (Beyond the Basics)