COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 131
Optimal / Functional
131 - 325 µg/dL
Total Serum Iron
Serum iron indicates how much iron is circulating in the blood.
However, relying on it alone doesn’t provide a full picture of a
client’s iron status. Serum iron levels often begin to drop after iron
stores are depleted but before anemia becomes clinically
apparent. For this reason, it holds limited diagnostic value on its
own and is best interpreted alongside serum ferritin and TIBC.
When to run this test:
● To help identify iron deficiency anemia
● To track progress during iron deficiency treatment
● To observe and manage potential iron overload conditions
Range
Units
Conventional
27 - 170 µg/dL
Optimal / Functional
40 - 130 µg/dL
Alarm
< 25 µg/dL or > 200 µg/dL
Serum Ferritin
Ferritin is a blood protein that stores and releases iron as needed,
making it the primary indicator of the body's iron reserves. Its levels
reflect how much iron is stored in tissues, and low ferritin levels
typically indicate depleted iron stores, as seen in iron deficiency
anemia. Ferritin is the most sensitive marker for detecting iron
deficiency and is commonly ordered alongside serum iron and
TIBC for a comprehensive assessment.
High ferritin levels have been linked to babesiosis (a tick-borne
co-infection often seen with Lyme disease) and may reflect
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