Iron studies blood test

What this test is

This is a group of blood tests done together. It includes iron, iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation. Together they show how iron moves through your blood. This is not the same as ferritin. Ferritin measures stored iron. Ferritin is usually the better first test for tiredness. This iron panel answers a different question. It checks whether you have too much iron in your body. That is called hemochromatosis. This panel is also used when a ferritin result is hard to read. That can happen if you also have inflammation. If low iron is the only concern, ferritin alone is usually enough. You may not need this extra panel.