Iron - the basics:
- Iron is supplied by the diet.
- As much as 70% of the iron in the body is found in the hemoglobin of the red blood cells (RBCs).
- The other 30% is stored in the form of ferritin and hemosiderin (=iron-storage complex within cells, not widely available).
- About 10% of the ingested iron is absorbed in the small intestine and transported to the plasma.
- Abnormal levels of iron are characteristic of many diseases, including iron-deficiency anemia and hemochromatosis (=Iron overload).
Where is iron found in the body?
Most iron in the body is bound to red blood cells or stored in the spleen and cannot be directly tested.
Iron is found in different parts of the body:
- In the blood. About 65% of all iron is in the blood. Iron in the blood is mostly bound to the transportation protein transferrin.
- In muscles
- In the liver (called ferritin)
- In enzymes in the body.
Iron and transferrin:
- After iron is absorbed in the small intestine and transported to the plasma, there the iron is bound to a globulin protein called transferrin and carried to the bone marrow for incorporation into hemoglobin.
- Transferrin exists in relation to the need for iron. When iron stores are low, transferrin levels increase, whereas transferrin is low when there is too much iron.
- Usually about one-third of the transferrin is being used to transport iron. Because of this, the blood serum has considerable extra iron-binding capacity, which is the Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity (UIBC). The TIBC equals UIBC plus the serum iron measurement. Some laboratories measure UIBC, some measure TIBC, and some measure transferrin.
- The serum iron determination is a measurement of the quantity of iron bound to transferrin.
Why is iron so important?
- Iron is an essential element required for hemoglobin production.
- The human body requires iron to perform many vital physiological functions.
What is hemoglobin?
Hemoglobin oxygenates the blood. Without iron, red blood cells cannot reproduce in the body.
How is iron absorbed in the body?
- The body takes in iron from the food you eat so it is important to have good sources of iron in your diet. Only about 10% of the iron you consume is absorbed.
- The process of iron absorption is tightly regulated because your body does not have any biochemical ways of removing iron. Instead, iron is lost through processes such as bleeding, menstruation, and breast-feeding. Additionally, iron within the body is constantly being recycled and reused.
What does a serum test do?
A serum iron test measures iron levels in the serum component of the blood. A serum iron test is ordered after abnormal results are found in a hemoglobin test or a complete blood count, or when you are showing symptoms of anemia.
How is iron measured?
- Iron is often measured in micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dl), normal ranges for serum iron differ depending on an individual’s age and sex.
- Child-bearing women have the highest requirements for iron because of the monthly loss of blood in their menstrual cycles.
- If your results are abnormal, additional tests will determine whether iron is being stored in your liver, not being transported to the right places in your body, or what type of anemia you have.
Your medical lab tests hold vital information about your health. Our tools help you understand what's going on and how to take action.
$15 $5.99/first month
Cancel or upgrade anytime
Chronic iron overload or poisoning is called hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis. Excess iron is usually deposited in the brain, liver, and heart and causes severe dysfunction of these organs.
Massive blood transfusions also may cause elevated serum iron levels, although only transiently. Transfusions should be avoided before serum iron level determinations.
Possible causes:
High levels of iron in the serum are associated with too much iron, vitamin B6 or vitamin B12.
Some specific causes of high iron might be:
- anemia where the blood cells rupture, called hemolytic anemia
- iron overdose, where you have consumed more iron than what your body requires and can successfully deal with
- an overload of iron, where your body is not eliminating iron as it should
- liver health issues such as hemosiderosis, hemochromatosis, liver failure or hepatitis
- too many blood transfusions
- lead poisoning
- use of birth control pills
What can iron overload do to the body?
- Too much iron in vital organs, even in mild cases of iron overload, increases the risk for liver disease (cirrhosis, cancer), heart attack or heart failure, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, numerous symptoms and in some cases premature death.
- Iron mismanagement resulting in overload can accelerate such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s, early-onset Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.
Possible treatment:
The treatment for iron overload is iron reduction therapy. A person's hemoglobin is key in the physician's decision of iron reduction therapy. If the patient's hemoglobin level is sufficient to tolerate blood removal, the doctor can provide either an order for therapeutic phlebotomies or can recommend that a patient routinely donate blood.
Possible correlations to other markers:
You should also correlate your high iron levels to other biomarkers.
Acute iron poisoning due to accidental or intentional overdose is characterized by a serum iron level that exceeds the total iron binding capacity (TIBC).
Here are possible scenarios of correlation:
|
Disease |
Iron |
TIBC/ Transferrin |
UIBC |
Transferrin Saturation (%) |
Ferritin |
|
Hemocromatosis/ Hemosiderosis |
High | Low | Low | High | High |
|
Hemolytic Anemia |
High |
Low/Normal |
Low/Normal |
High | High |
|
Sideroblastic Anemia |
High/Normal |
Low/Normal |
Low/Normal |
High | High |
|
Iron Poisoning |
High | Normal | Low | High | Normal |
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Iron deficiency is a condition resulting from too little iron in the body. Iron deficiency can be the result of numerous and multiple causes.
Possible Causes:
- Your diet may not contain enough iron-rich foods. Even a vitamin C deficiency affects the absorption of iron in the diet, and it’s possible that if you’re low in vitamin C, you won’t absorb enough iron from other foods.
- If you are a woman in the child-bearing years, then heavy menstrual periods could contribute to low iron levels. That’s because blood is exiting the body at high levels – and taking iron with it.
- Acute or chronic blood loss, including from ulcers or bleeding from the GI tract
- Anemia (iron-deficiency, sickle cell, vitamin B6 deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, vitamin C deficiency)
- Pregnancy
- Bone marrow conditions
- Infections
- Hypothyroidism
- Kwashiorkor (malnutrition)
- Associated with blood loss during surgery
Possible symptoms:
- premature births
- low birth weight babies
- delayed growth and development
- delayed normal infant activity and movement.
- Lower IQs have been linked to iron deficiency occurring during critical periods of growth.
- Iron deficiency can result in poor memory or poor cognitive skills (mental function) and can result in poor performance in school, work, etc.
Possible signs of iron deficiency:
A person who is iron deficient may also be anemic and as a result may have one or more symptoms of anemia.
These can include:
- chronic fatigue
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Depression
- sore tongue
- sensitivity to cold (low body temp)
- shortness of breath doing simple tasks (climbing stairs, walking short distances, doing housework)
- restless legs syndrome
- pica (the desire to chew ice or non-food items,)
- and loss of interest in work, recreation, relationships, and intimacy.
Most at risk for iron deficiency:
Women, children and the elderly are most at risk. African American and Hispanic women and their young children are prone to iron deficiency, possibly because of diet or perhaps different hemoglobin needs. Men are rarely iron deficient; but when they are, it is generally due to blood loss from the digestive tract (sometimes indicating disease), diseases that affect iron absorption, and in some cases, alcohol abuse. Except for those who are strict vegetarians, men rarely have dietary iron deficiency.
Possible correlations to other markers:
You should also correlate your low iron levels to other biomarkers.
A decreased serum iron level, elevated total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and low transferrin saturation value are characteristic of iron-deficiency anemia.
Here are possible scenarios of correlation:
|
Disease |
Iron |
TIBC/ Transferrin |
UIBC |
Transferrin Saturation (%) |
Ferritin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Iron Deficiency |
Low |
High |
High |
Low | Low |
|
Chronic Illness |
Low |
Low/Normal |
Low/Normal | Low/Normal |
High/Normal |
- You can also look at RDW (=Red Cell Distribution Width) and MCV (=Mean Corpuscular Volume), if you have those measurements, to distinguish between different kinds of anemias. Refer to your RDW and MCV markers for more information.
- Low zinc levels can also be associated with iron deficiency anemia. Zinc is the co-factor of several enzymes and plays a role in iron metabolism, so zinc deficiency is associated with IDA (=iron deficiency anemia). Refer to your zinc marker for more information.
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15 $5.99/first month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
$250/once
full premium version
$45/month
track your clients’ labs
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15 $5.99/first month
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 $5.99
$250 full version
Are you a health professional?
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.
Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.
With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.
For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.
Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.
For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.
Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.
You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
11dhTxB2/Creatinine (AspirinWorks), Absolute Reticulocytes, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Phenotype, Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, Serum, Ammonia, Angiotensin-1-Converting Enzyme, Beta-2 Glycoprotein I Ab, IgA, Beta-2 Glycoprotein I, IgG, Beta-2 Glycoprotein I, IgM, Bicarbonate (HCO3), Serum, Blood Type, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), C-Reactive Protein, Cardiac, Copper, Serum or Plasma, D-Dimer, D-Dimer, Quantitative, Delta Aminolevulinic Acid, Urine, 24 Hour, Erythropoietin (EPO), Serum, F2-Isoprostane, Factor IX Activity, Factor V Leiden Mutation, Factor VII Activity, Factor VIII Activity, Factor X Activity, Factor XI Activity, Ferritin, Ferritin (female range), Fibrinogen Activity, Fibrinogen Antigen, Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD), Quantitative, Glutathione; Erythrocytes, Haptoglobin, Hemoglobin A, Hemoglobin F, Immatue Reticulocyte Fraction, Immature Platelet Fraction, Immature Retic Fraction, Iron, IRON (Serum), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH or LD), Large Unstained Cells (LUC), Large Unstained Cells (Percent), Macrocytosis, Magnesium, RBC, Nucleated RBC (NRBC) (%), Nucleated red blood cell (NRBC), OxPL-apoB1, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) Activity, Platelet Ab, Indirect (IgA), Platelet Ab, Indirect (IgG), Platelet Ab, Indirect (IgM), Plateletcrit (PCT), Polychromasia, Porphobilinogen Deaminase, Whole Blood, Porphyrins, Total Serum, PTT-LA Screen, Retic Hgb Equivalent, Reticulocyte Count, Reticulocyte hemoglobin, Reticulocyte, Absolute, Sickle Cell Screen, Stomatocytes, Thrombin Antithrombin Complex, Thrombocytes, Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), Transferrin, Transferrin Receptor, Transferrin saturation (Iron Saturation), UIBC
