Iron Deficiency Test

Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron. Our home ferritin test helps you understand how much iron your body is storing and if you have iron deficiency.

Ferritin levels less than 30ng/mL indicates and Iron Deficiency or Insufficiency.

The test provides results based on Normal or Abnormal/Deficient basis. Deficient results can then be used to request a secondary test or consult further medical advice.

Iron deficiency symptoms:

Monitoring your Iron levels on a regular basis can prevent untreated symptoms getting worse, including:

• Fainting
• Paleness
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath during exercise
• Weakened immune system
• Faster heartbeat

1

Receive your test kit in the post.

2

Clean your finger and use the finger prick lancet to release blood.

3

Fill the capillary dropper with blood up to the black line.

4

Squeeze the blood into the sample area marked S on the test cassette.

5

Allow the blood to absorb and add one drop of single use buffer to the sample well.

6

Wait 5 minutes for the results to appear.

NOTE: Do not interpret before 5 minutes or after 10 minutes as the
results may be inaccurate.

Iron is an essential trace element and nutrient that, among other functions, is necessary for the production of healthy red blood cells(RBCs). The body cannot produce iron and must absorb it from the foods we eat or from supplements (1).

In healthy people, most of the iron absorbed by the body is incorporated into the haemoglobin of red blood cells.
When the level of iron is insufficient to meet the body’s needs, the level of iron in the blood drops, iron stores are depleted, and ferritin levels decrease (2).

Insufficient levels of circulating and stored iron may eventually lead to iron deficiency anaemia (decreased haemoglobin). A deficiency is registered when the ferritin concentration in blood is lower than 30ng/ml.

References:
1) http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2085454-overview
2) http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/88153

What’s included in the Home Iron Deficiency Test:

1 x Test cassette
1 x Single-use buffer
1 x Sterile lancet
1 x Instructions
2 x Alcohol pad
1 x Capillary dropper

Note: You will require a method of timing the process.

• Our home testing kit has been validated against industry standards with a 100% correlation.
• CE approved sample kit.
• Results do not substantiate a medical diagnosis on their own but may be used by your doctor to help form a diagnosis or request a secondary analytical test.
• It is possible that technical or procedural errors or other interfering substances in the whole blood specimen may cause erroneous results.
• >97% reproducible results.

Important

All information in the reports produced is intended to support nutritional advice to optimise your diet. The results cannot be used to diagnose, treat or cure medical/health conditions.

Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider if you have a medical condition and/or medical symptoms. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it.

Ferritin is a large spherical protein consisting of 24 noncovalently linked subunits with a molecular weight of approximately 450 KD. One molecule of ferritin is capable of binding between 4000 and 5000 atoms of iron, making ferritin the major iron storage protein for the body (1). The concentration of ferritin is proportional to the total iron stores in the body, resulting in serum ferritin concentrations becoming a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of iron status.

In most normal adults, serum ferritin concentrations vary with age and sex. There is no sex difference until the onset of puberty, at which time ferritin concentrations rise, particularly in males. There is a significant positive correlation between age and serum ferritin concentrations in females but not in males (1-2).

Patients with iron deficiency anaemia have serum ferritin concentration of approximately one-tenth of normal subjects, while patients with iron overload (hemochromatosis, hemosiderosis) have serum ferritin concentrations much higher than normal. Studies also suggest that serum ferritin provides a sensitive means of detecting iron deficiency at an early stage (2).

References:

1) McPherson RA, Pincus MR eds: Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Elsevier Saunders; 2007:506
2) Cappellinin MD, Lo SF, Swickels DW: Hemoglobin, iron, bilirubin. In: Rafai N, Horvath AR, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. 6th ed. Elsevier Saunders; 2018:719-775

• Same day dispatch on orders placed by midday
• 14-day cancellation period if you change your mind
• Easy-to-use test kit, no need to send sample.