What does a high or low ferritin mean?
Last updated: 24 September 2026
Ferritin tracker
Add your results to see them against the typical range. They are saved in this browser only — nothing is sent anywhere.
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron, and the blood test measures how much of it is circulating. It is the closest thing to a fuel gauge for your iron reserves: it usually drops before you become anaemic, which is why it gets checked when someone is tired, losing hair, or donating blood regularly.
It is also an acute phase reactant, meaning it rises with inflammation regardless of iron. That single fact explains most confusing ferritin results, and it is why the number is rarely interpreted on its own.
Typical ferritin ranges
Ranges vary between laboratories, and the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your sample. Some labs report in µg/L, which is the same number as ng/mL.
| Group | Commonly reported range |
|---|---|
| Men | about 24–336 ng/mL |
| Women | about 11–307 ng/mL |
| Iron deficiency likely | below 30 ng/mL |
| Iron deficiency, with inflammation present | can still be below 100 ng/mL |
What a low ferritin can mean
A low ferritin means depleted iron stores, and it has a cause worth finding rather than just correcting. Common ones include heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy, a diet low in absorbable iron, coeliac disease or another absorption problem, and bleeding somewhere in the gut.
You can have a low ferritin with a completely normal haemoglobin. That is early iron deficiency, before it becomes anaemia, and it is often the stage at which people feel tired without knowing why.
What a high ferritin can mean
- Inflammation or infection. The most common explanation, and usually temporary. A ferritin drawn during an illness can read high for that reason alone.
- Liver conditions, including fatty liver disease, which is why ferritin is often looked at alongside liver enzymes.
- Regular alcohol intake, which raises it independently of iron.
- Iron overload, including haemochromatosis, a genetic condition. This is far less common than the causes above, but it is the one that matters most to catch, and it is usually investigated with transferrin saturation rather than ferritin alone.
- Metabolic syndrome and obesity, both associated with modestly raised ferritin.
Why one ferritin result is hard to read
Because inflammation pushes ferritin up and iron deficiency pulls it down, a single mid-range result can hide either. Someone with low iron stores and an ongoing inflammatory condition can land at 80 ng/mL and look unremarkable.
This is the case for tracking it rather than checking it once. A ferritin that has fallen from 120 to 45 over two years is telling you something that 45 on its own does not, even though both readings sit inside the printed range.
When to talk to a doctor
Any result outside your lab’s range is worth a conversation, and so is a result inside the range that has moved a long way from your own baseline. Get seen promptly if a low ferritin comes with breathlessness, chest pain, or unusually heavy periods, or if a high ferritin comes with joint pain, abdominal pain, or a family history of haemochromatosis.
Common questions
Is ferritin the same as iron?
No. Serum iron is how much iron is in your blood right now, which swings through the day and with meals. Ferritin reflects what is in storage, which is why it is the better measure of long-term iron status.
Can ferritin be low if my haemoglobin is normal?
Yes, and it commonly is. Iron stores empty before red blood cell production suffers, so ferritin falls first. A normal full blood count does not rule out iron deficiency.
How quickly does ferritin change?
Slowly. Meaningful movement takes weeks to months, so retesting sooner than about three months after a change rarely shows anything useful. Inflammation, by contrast, can raise it within days.
Keep your results in one place
Dosely stores every blood test you have had, checks each marker against its reference range, and charts how it moves between tests — which is what turns a single number into something you can read. Free to use, no sign-up screen.