Why does the doctor prescribe a ferritin test?
THE ferritin assay is part of the classic analyzes requested during a routine blood test to measure the amount of iron stored in the body, for example when the patient complains of persistent fatigue.
When should you worry?
“Ferritin level is an interesting biomarker“, emphasizes Professor Vincent Mallet, gastroenterologist and hepatologist. If the ferritin level is high, but between 400 ng/ml and less than 1,000 ng/ml, it is necessary to look for frequent causes, generally benign, for take the necessary measures and implement biological monitoring, if necessary.”If the ferritin is higher than 1000 ng/ml, this should put the chip in the ear, there is a risk of severe disease, in particular of hemochromatosis, the only pathology which causes a toxic iron overload for the organism. , but which can be treated very well with bloodletting. The first thing to do is to look for iron overload.“In order to confirm the diagnosis, it is best to consult an expert. This will require an evaluation of the saturation coefficient of transferrin, the protein synthesized by the liver which transports iron in the blood, and, if necessary, a test genetic.
What are the common causes of high ferritin?
In the majority of cases, moderate elevations of ferritin in the blood are due to an increase in the secretion of ferritin by the cells that store it. Four causes are responsible for more than 90% of hyperferritinemia. The first is dysmetabolic syndrome, which combines several health conditions, including being overweight or obese, high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated blood cholesterol or triglycerides. This syndrome is manifested, among other things, by the accumulation of fat in the liver (we speak of steatosis) which promotes a transfer of hepatic ferritin to the blood.
“In France, chronic alcohol consumption represents the second risk factor for elevated ferritin“, explains our expert.
The third cause of high ferritin is inflammatory syndrome : infections (viral hepatitis, Covid-19, etc.), inflammatory, chronic and/or autoimmune diseases (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), even certain cancers.
The fourth cause is the cell lysis (destruction of cells)mainly hepatic or muscular, which leads to the release of ferritin into the blood.
What to do in case of high ferritin?
In the case of classic and benign causes of hyperferritinemia, it is advisable to set up treatments adapted to the disease or syndrome of which it is the marker and to adopt a healthy lifestyle: reduction in alcohol consumption, loss of weight through regular physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet.