What does an elevated ferritin mean?
One of the most common abnormalities on blood tests is an elevated ferritin. Ferritin is usually used as a marker for iron status. If it is low, chances are high that you have iron deficiency.
If it is high, it could not only mean that you have high iron (either from taking in too much, especially through supplements or through a condition called hemochromatosis). However it is not very specific and could also mean that you have a inflammation or an infection going on in the body. In addition, it could be sign of excessive alcohol intake or metabolic disease.
If your ferritin is high, your history can help determine the cause. For example if you have been drinking more alcohol, it is worth doing a trial off of alcohol for 4-8 weeks and then repeating the ferritin level.
If you have high blood glucose or other metabolic abnormalities, they could be the cause. These include high blood glucose levels, high cholesterol (especially triglycerides), high uric acid levels, high blood pressure, fatty liver (or other liver diseases) and obesity.
If other liver tests such as ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin or GGT are high, you may need other liver testing including an ultrasound, testing for hepatitis as well as other conditions.
And if you have a high transferrin and saturation percentage level, you may have high iron. Talk to your healthcare provider about testing for hemochromatosis.
If your CRP, ESR or ANA are elevated, this could be an inflammatory issue. If you are currently fighting off an infection or have a joint or skin issue going on, you may wish to wait 8 weeks after you’re feeling better and have your ferritin level repeated.
Overall, an elevated ferritin can be marker for several conditions and while a further workup could be indicated, many people do have high ferritins with no cause found. In this case it might be beneficial to donate blood every 3-6 months as this can lower your ferritin level.
If your ferritin level is high, speak to your health care provider to understand why and what if anything needs to be done about it.