Iron Status Profile
Introduction
Check your iron & inflammation levels
At Amiry & Gilbride, we’re committed to providing you with the best testing services, and our partnership with London Medical Laboratory has allowed us to introduce our new iron status profile service. This service tests your iron and inflammation levels, which can help with identifying medical issues or understanding any symptoms you may have.
That metallic smell and taste of blood that you may have noticed shouldn’t be ignored. Iron is an integral mineral that our red blood cells need to function properly, and deficiencies can cause problems with transporting oxygen through the blood to vital areas.
The most common issue relating to low iron is anaemia, with symptoms including weakness or fatigue, and common feelings of coldness. This is especially common with menstruating women, as heavy blood loss can cause iron levels to drop significantly, which is why it’s important to get checked if you experience heavy blood loss and anaemic symptoms as a woman.
How does this test work?
As with most health checks, the most reliable and comprehensive test is a blood test. Blood tests are quick, affordable, and stress-free, and they provide very fast results – within a week, in most cases.
Blood tests are helpful, but also should not fully replace your GP visits. Our blood tests can provide insights, but you should consult a doctor before self-diagnosing any medical problems.
What do you test?
Once we’ve received your blood sample, we run a series of tests for various iron-related factors, such as the concentration in the bloodstream, how it’s stored in tissues, and absorption rates.
Iron
Iron serves many vital purposes in the body, one of which is the manufacturing of red blood cells. It also helps with transporting oxygen, maintaining organ functions, and keeping muscles and bones healthy. Of course, our iron tests will check that your body has an appropriate level of iron. Too little iron can indicate anaemia, and too much can indicate liver problems.
Total iron binding concentration
Abbreviated as TIBC, this is the maximum amount of iron that your blood can transport. Iron is transported by the blood, but the iron is what transfers oxygen from the blood to your body’s cells. This test allows us to gauge your iron absorption rate, helping to identify the possibility of anaemia or haemochromatosis (iron overload).
Unsaturated iron binding concentration
UIBC refers to the amount of transferrin for iron transportation in your body. These tests are also commonly used to monitor how successful iron toxicity treatments are.
Ferritin
Ferritin is the protein in your blood that stores iron, and problems with ferritin levels may be contributing to anaemia symptoms, rather than low iron counts.
Transferrin
Finally, this test checks for the iron binding glycoprotein that the liver produces, for transporting iron in the blood. Like some of the other tests, this checks for any other potential causes of anaemic symptoms outside of a low iron count.
FAQs
How long do iron levels take to balance out after a test?
Restoring iron levels can be a lengthy process depending on your test results, but you should be able to restore iron levels within 6 months in most cases. We encourage regular testing to help monitor iron levels for any drops or increases to help get you back to full health again.
What if my iron levels are too low?
Low iron brings with it the risk of anaemia, with symptoms of fatigue and weakness, as we mentioned, as well as subtler problems like difficulty concentrating or decreased nail and hair quality. Of course, these symptoms alone don’t mean you’re anaemic, but getting tested can help you understand those symptoms.
What if my iron levels are too high?
Iron levels that are too high may indicate liver disease, and excess iron can be stored in the heart, liver, or endocrine glands. But again, getting tested can help you understand what’s happening within your body.. Plenty of factors can influence iron levels, and getting tested is the best way to clear your mind of any worries.
What is iron for and what does the iron status profile include?
Iron not only produces red blood cells, but it is critical to the makeup of haemoglobin – the protein in your blood which carries oxygen all the way from the lungs to the rest of your body’s cells, muscles, organs, etc. Our iron status profile covers iron levels and iron stores, and it can also indicate potential inflammation levels, giving us a comprehensive picture of your overall iron levels and health.
