A transferrin saturation test tells us how much iron in the blood is bound to transferrin. A low transferrin saturation usually indicates iron deficiency while a high saturation often confirms haemochromatosis.
People also ask, how do you increase low transferrin saturation?
Tips to Get Enough Iron
- Eat lean red meat: This is the best source of easily absorbed heme iron. …
- Eat chicken and fish: These are also good sources of heme iron. …
- Consume vitamin C-rich foods: Eat vitamin C-rich foods during meals to increase the absorption of non-heme iron.
- Eat lean red meat: This is the best source of easily absorbed heme iron. …
- Eat chicken and fish: These are also good sources of heme iron. …
- Consume vitamin C-rich foods: Eat vitamin C-rich foods during meals to increase the absorption of non-heme iron.
Consequently, how is low iron saturation treated?
Treatment may include:
- Iron-rich diet. Eating a diet with iron-rich foods can help treat iron-deficiency anemia. …
- Iron supplements. Iron supplements can be taken over several months to increase iron levels in the blood. …
- Evaluation for a source of blood loss. This may include upper endoscopy or colonoscopy.
Is low transferrin bad?
However, markedly low transferrin levels indicate severe protein-energy malnutrition. A value less than 100 mg/dL may be considered a reliable index of severe protein-energy malnutrition.
What are the symptoms of low transferrin saturation?
Iron deficiency anemia signs and symptoms may include:
- Extreme fatigue.
- Weakness.
- Pale skin.
- Chest pain, fast heartbeat or shortness of breath.
- Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Cold hands and feet.
- Inflammation or soreness of your tongue.
- Brittle nails.
What cancers cause high ferritin levels?
In addition to breast cancer, the serum ferritin level has also been found to be elevated in patients with lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma, and the level was closely associated with the prognosis.
What cancers cause low ferritin levels?
In a study published in July 2013 in the Annals of Oncology, iron deficiency was most commonly seen in people with pancreatic cancer (present in 63 percent of participants), followed by colorectal cancer (52 percent) and lung cancer (51 percent).
What causes low iron saturation?
Iron deficiency anemia is usually caused by blood loss (eg, gastrointestinal, menstrual) but may be due to hemolysis, malabsorption, or increased demand for iron (eg, in pregnancy, lactation, periods of rapid growth in children).
What causes low transferrin levels?
The most common cause of low transferrin levels is iron overload (excess iron) [26, 10]. Iron overload can be due to iron poisoning (acute), or due to chronic overload due to hereditary disorders such as hemochromatosis, thalassemia, or sickle cell anemia [27, 9].
What does it mean if transferrin saturation is high?
Transferrin saturation is increased when excess amounts of iron are present, as in iron overload or poisoning (hemochromatosis). A high transferrin saturation results indicates you have too much iron in your body. In iron overload, the transferrin saturation is usually increased from around 30% to over 90%.
What does low transferrin mean in a blood test?
Low transferrin level means the body is absorbing more iron then needed. The results of a typical transferrin test are reported in micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL). The transferrin normal range is between 300 to 360 mcg/dl.
What does percent saturation of iron mean?
Iron saturation or transferrin saturation is measured as a percentage. It is calculated by dividing the amount of serum iron by total iron binding capacity (TBIC) – serum iron concentration รท total iron binding capacity. A low transferrin saturation percentage may indicate low iron or iron-deficiency anemia.
What is a good transferrin level?
The normal range for transferrin is 204 to 360 mg/dl. If you have a higher amount, you may have iron-deficiency anemia. If you have a lower level, you may have another problem, such as liver disease and hemolytic anemia.
What is a normal transferrin saturation level?
Normal values are 250 to 450 mcg/dL. A higher level means that you may have iron-deficiency anemia. Another measurement, called transferrin saturation, checks how many places on your transferrin that can hold iron are actually doing so. Normal values are 15% to 50%.
What is dangerously high iron saturation?
Saturation values of more than 45% are too high. The serum ferritin test measures the amount of iron that the body has stored. Knowing these levels helps a doctor diagnose a person and monitor them during treatment.
What is the difference between iron saturation and transferrin saturation?
Transferrin saturations of less than 20% indicate iron deficiency, while transferrin saturations of more than 50% suggest iron overload. The terms transferrin saturation and iron-binding capacity, saturation, are interchangeable; however, this value is now most commonly referred to simply as transferrin saturation.
What is transferrin on a blood test?
The Transferrin Test is ordered to assess the body’s ability to bind and transport iron in the blood. It is often ordered along with other iron-related tests when iron deficiency or overload are suspected, or to assess nutrition or liver function.
What should your iron saturation be?
Normal levels are generally between 35.5 and 44.9 percent for adult women and 38.3 to 48.6 percent for adult men. These values may change depending on your age. Hemoglobin.
Why is transferrin low in iron deficiency anemia?
Low transferrin in plasma indicates iron overload, which means the binding site of transferrin is highly saturated with iron. Iron overload suggests hemochromatosis, which will lead to the deposition of iron on tissues.