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Ferritin

A ferritin blood test measures the level of ferritin in your blood. Ferritin is a protein that binds to iron and stores it in your body. You need iron to make healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Iron is also important for healthy muscles, bone marrow, and organs, including brain development in children.

A ferritin blood test may be ordered as part of a group of iron tests to help check your iron levels. It can help your health care provider find out if your body is storing the right amount of iron to stay healthy.

Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Normal range

38 published ranges, each from a named source
Female · 51 y+
11–328 ug/L
Female
15–307 ng/mL (varies by lab)ABIM 24–307 · LabCorp 15–150 ng/mL
Male · 18 y+
31–409 ug/L
Male
24–400 ng/mL (varies by lab)ABIM 24–336 · LabCorp 30–400 ng/mL

These labs do not agree for female: the published adult ranges differ by up to 2.0×, so the same result can read as normal at one lab and be flagged at another — ABIM 24–307 · LabCorp 15–150 ng/mL. Both are real published values, shown as each lab states them.

Ranges from ARUP Laboratories Test Directory, American Board of Internal Medicine (Laboratory Test Reference Ranges), LabCorp Test Directory, Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog).

All source ranges (38)
SourceSexAgeRange
American Board of Internal Medicine (Laboratory Test Reference Ranges) Female all ages 24–307 ng/mL
American Board of Internal Medicine (Laboratory Test Reference Ranges) Male all ages 24–336 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 10 d – 12 mo 10–194 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 1 y – 2 y 7–81 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 3 y – 5 y 12–74 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 6 y – 9 y 13–92 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 10 y – 14 y 14–101 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 15 y – 16 y 4–114 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Female 17 y – 59 y 13–150 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 10 d – 12 mo 9–115 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 1 y – 2 y 6–70 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 3 y – 5 y 12–71 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 6 y – 9 y 15–81 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 10 y – 14 y 14–101 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 15 y – 19 y 21–173 ng/mL
ARUP Laboratories Test Directory Male 20 y – 59 y 30–400 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Female all ages 15–150 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Female ≤ 5 mo 12–219 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Female 6 mo – 1 y 12–110 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Female 1 y – 5 y 12–71 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Female 6 y – 11 y 15–79 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Female 12 y – 19 y 15–77 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Male all ages 30–400 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Male ≤ 5 mo 13–273 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Male 6 mo – 1 y 12–95 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Male 1 y – 5 y 12–64 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Male 6 y – 11 y 16–77 ng/mL
LabCorp Test Directory Male 12 y – 19 y 16–124 ng/mL
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Female ≤ 28 d 150–973 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Female 1 mo – 5 mo 9–580 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Female 6 mo – 17 y 8–115 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Female 18 y – 50 y 6–175 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Female 51 y+ 11–328 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Male ≤ 28 d 150–973 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Male 1 mo – 5 mo 9–580 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Male 6 mo – 9 y 6–111 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Male 10 y – 17 y 15–201 ug/L
Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Pediatric Test Catalog) Male 18 y+ 31–409 ug/L

What moves it

cited guidance. not medical advice
Iron — address deficiency when low · National Institutes of Health - Office of Dietary Supplements

What an abnormal result can be associated with

A high result
Increased circulating ferritin concentration
A low result
Decreased circulating ferritin concentration
Associations from LOINC2HPO (Human Phenotype Ontology). This is reference information, not a diagnosis: only a clinician can interpret your result in context.
details
Sample
Serum or plasma · LOINC
Part of
Bryan Johnson Blueprint
Listed under
Anemia · Hemochromatosis · Iron
Code
LOINC 2276-4 · ng/mL
Also known as
Ferr
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