They help to establish iron stores. Measuring these parameters is a good way to assess a person's nutritional status. How to prepare: A blood sample is drawn to measure these elements. This test should be done in the morning. You have to fast for 8 hours before the test. Do not drink alcohol in the 72 hours prior to the test.
Iron plays several important functions in the body. It is involved in the formation and functioning of hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Most iron is found in hemoglobin, the rest is stored as ferritin. Iron needs a protein, called transferrin, to travel in the blood. Blood iron levels represent the balance between dietary intake and iron losses menses, loss in stools, etc.
Ferritin levels are useful to assess body iron stores. A ferritin test measures the amount of ferritin in your blood. Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron. A ferritin test helps your doctor understand how much iron your body stores. If a ferritin test reveals that your blood ferritin level is lower than normal, it indicates your body's iron stores are low and you have iron deficiency. As a result, you could be anemic.
If a ferritin test shows higher than normal levels, it could indicate that you have a condition that causes your body to store too much iron. It could also point to liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory conditions or hyperthyroidism. Some types of cancer also can cause your blood ferritin level to be high. If your doctor suspects you have too much or too little iron in your body, he or she might suggest a ferritin test.
The test can diagnose or suggest:. Your doctor might also suggest a ferritin test if you've been diagnosed with a disorder that results in too much iron in your body, such as hemochromatosis. Generally, it occurs as a cytosolic protein in the cells of many tissues. However, a small amount of ferritin also occurs in the serum, functioning as an iron carrier. Besides, the apoferritin is a form of ferritin that is not bound to iron. The main function of ferritin is to keep the iron in a soluble but non-toxic form.
Furthermore, the structure of ferritin contains 24 subunits, which form a nanocage. Here, the core contains the stored iron molecules. Furthermore, ferritin acts as a buffer which balances iron deficiency and iron overload. It is an indirect marker of total iron stored in the body. Thus, serum ferritin is an important blood test to diagnose iron-deficiency anemia.
Especially, this test helps to distinguish between iron deficiency anemia from anemia of chronic disease. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing metalloprotein which occurs in red blood cells of vertebrates. Therefore, it is the main form of oxygen-transporting protein of vertebrates, carrying oxygen from the lungs or gills to the metabolizing tissues of the body.
Causes iron deficiency Iron deficiency can be the result of numerous and multiple causes. Increased demand: Iron deficiency can occur during rapid periods of growth.
For this reason nature makes certain that developing fetuses, newborns and infants up until the age of about six months have an ample supply of iron. Conditions that result in iron deficiency include blood loss from heavy menstruation, pregnancy, frequent or excessive blood donation, fibroids, digestive tract disease including infections , as well as surgeries and accidents. Iron deficiency can also be caused by certain medications, some dietary supplements or substances that cause bleeding such as pain relievers with aspirin, and also as a result of poisoning from lead, toxic chemicals or alcohol abuse.
Decreased intake or absorption Decreased intake or absorption can occur in diets that do not include heme iron, the iron found in meat and shellfish. Heme iron is absorbed more efficiently than non-heme iron found in plants and dietary supplements. Other nutrients, however, such as vitamins C and B12, folate or zinc can facilitate sufficient non-heme iron absorption. Consuming certain foods and medications can interfere with the absorption of iron. These include dairy products, coffee, tea, chocolate, eggs, and fiber.
Medication that inhibit iron absorption include antacids, proton pump inhibitors to treat acid reflux or calcium supplements. Most at risk for iron deficiency Women, children and the elderly are most at risk. African American and Hispanic women and their young children are prone to iron deficiency, possibly because of diet or perhaps different hemoglobin needs.
Men are rarely iron deficient; but when they are, it is generally due to blood loss from the digestive tract sometimes indicating disease , diseases that affect iron absorption, and in some cases, alcohol abuse.
Except for those who are strict vegetarians, men rarely have dietary iron deficiency.
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