Ferritin

Measured in ng/mL

A protein that reflects how much iron your body has in storage — but it also rises with inflammation, so a normal-looking value can mask low iron stores.

What it is

Ferritin is the protein your body packs iron into for storage, so a blood ferritin level is the most commonly used proxy for how much iron you have banked. The important catch: ferritin is an 'acute-phase reactant,' meaning it climbs during inflammation, infection, liver issues, and other stresses — so an infection last week or an ongoing inflammatory condition can push ferritin into the normal range even when iron stores are genuinely low. That's why it's often reviewed alongside things like serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, a blood count, and sometimes an inflammation marker such as CRP, rather than read as a standalone number.

Typical range

  • Male31–409 ng/mL
  • Female6–328 ng/mL

Source · Reference-lab convention (Mayo) (2026)

Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and what is normal for you depends on your own history. Your own lab’s range is the one printed on your report.

Worth asking your clinician

  • Could inflammation or a recent illness be affecting my ferritin, and would checking an inflammation marker alongside it help interpret this?
  • Do my other iron-related results line up with this ferritin, or do they tell different stories?
  • Is this a number worth tracking over time in my case, and what would you want to see?