{"product_id":"nutripath-complete-iron-levels-blood-test","title":"Complete iron levels blood test","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"product-marketing-headline\"\u003eThe full iron picture, not just ferritin\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp class=\"product-tagline\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe full iron panel, not just ferritin. Serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation and ferritin together.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"product-brand-attribution\"\u003eTest processed by \u003cstrong\u003eNutriPath\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-short-description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeasures all four markers needed to assess iron status: ferritin (stored iron), serum iron (circulating iron), TIBC (total iron binding capacity) and transferrin saturation (the percentage actually carrying iron). Essential for anyone with unexplained fatigue, heavy menstrual bleeding, or hair loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-long-description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency globally, and one of the most commonly missed in fatigue workups. Ferritin alone is not enough. Ferritin reflects stored iron but can be falsely elevated by inflammation, liver disease and infection, masking true deficiency. A complete iron panel measures all four relevant markers. Ferritin shows stored iron (the most useful single marker when inflammation is absent). Serum iron shows circulating iron (variable through the day). TIBC shows how much transferrin is available to carry iron (rises when iron is low). Transferrin saturation shows the percentage actually carrying iron (under 20 percent suggests deficiency). Together these four give you the definitive picture. For women with heavy periods, iron status should be checked at least yearly. For anyone with unexplained fatigue, hair thinning, restless legs or shortness of breath on exertion, iron is one of the first things to measure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-ingredients\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat it measures\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBiomarker\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSample\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eReference Range\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhat it tells you\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFerritin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlood (SST)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e30 to 200 ng\/mL optimal, above 50 ideal for energy\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe primary marker of iron stores. Low ferritin in the absence of inflammation indicates iron deficiency even when haemoglobin is normal.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSerum Iron\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlood (SST)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 to 30 umol\/L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCirculating iron. Can vary considerably through the day. Single measurement is less informative than ferritin.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlood (SST)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e45 to 80 umol\/L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMeasures available transferrin. Rises in iron deficiency (the body upregulates transferrin to capture available iron).\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTransferrin Saturation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCalculated from iron and TIBC\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 to 45% ideal, under 20% indicates deficiency\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe percentage of transferrin actually carrying iron. One of the most functionally useful markers in the panel.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-how-to-take\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to collect and what to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFasting preferred but not required. Book a morning collection at any NutriPath referral centre. If taking iron supplements, hold the dose on the morning of collection. Results in 3 to 5 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-warnings\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings and cautions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a health information test. Do not start high dose iron supplementation based on results without practitioner guidance. Iron supplementation in the absence of deficiency, and in people with genetic haemochromatosis, can cause serious harm. If ferritin is above 300 ng\/mL consider testing for haemochromatosis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-faqs\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMy GP said my ferritin is normal but I am still exhausted. What now?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is an extremely common scenario. Standard lab reference ranges for ferritin start at 15 or 20 ng\/mL, but ferritin under 30 is associated with fatigue symptoms, and ferritin under 50 is often associated with hair thinning, restless legs and exercise fatigue even when the lab flags it as normal. Repletion to 80 to 100 ng\/mL often resolves symptoms that have persisted for years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy not just test ferritin alone?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eFerritin rises in inflammation, liver disease, infection and certain cancers. A full panel catches situations where ferritin looks normal but iron deficiency is actually present (seen in transferrin saturation staying low while ferritin rises with inflammation). Particularly important in anyone with chronic inflammation, IBD or autoimmune disease.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does it take to correct iron deficiency?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eOral iron repletion takes three to six months to build stores meaningfully. Symptoms often improve within four to six weeks if the deficiency is the main driver of fatigue. Intravenous iron works much faster but requires medical supervision.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI have heavy periods. How often should I retest?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eYearly at minimum. Heavy menstrual bleeding is the commonest cause of iron deficiency in menstruating women and often goes unaddressed. If ferritin drops below 30, retest every 3 to 6 months while addressing both iron and the bleeding cause.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product-clinical-evidence\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eClinical evidence\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12663221\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eIron deficiency without anaemia and fatigue\u003c\/a\u003e: Evidence that iron deficiency causes fatigue symptoms at ferritin levels above the anaemia threshold.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28401900\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eFerritin reference ranges in clinical practice\u003c\/a\u003e: Review of ferritin cut offs and the limits of standard lab reference ranges.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23890361\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eIron deficiency in women of reproductive age\u003c\/a\u003e: Epidemiology of iron deficiency related to menstrual losses.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NutriPath","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52591877095698,"sku":"OPTI-NUTRIPATH-COMPLETE-IRON-LEVELS-BLOOD-TES","price":119.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0557\/2087\/0083\/files\/nutripath-complete-iron-levels-blood-test.jpg?v=1786431157","url":"https:\/\/optilabs.com.au\/products\/nutripath-complete-iron-levels-blood-test","provider":"OptiLabs by Evergreen Doctors","version":"1.0","type":"link"}