The ratio of iron to transferrin, a marker of iron availability.
The iron to transferrin ratio is a calculated value, not a separate blood test. It compares serum iron, the iron in your blood, with transferrin, the protein that carries iron around the body.
The formula is: serum iron ÷ transferrin, using the units reported by the lab. A closely related and more standard measure is transferrin saturation.
Transferrin transports iron, and how much of it is actually carrying iron tells you about iron supply. This ratio approximates that balance, similar in spirit to transferrin saturation, which clinicians use more commonly.
A high value suggests plenty of iron relative to carrying capacity, seen in iron overload. A low value suggests iron is scarce relative to capacity, seen in iron deficiency.
Aniva reads your result against research-backed ranges, not just the lab's wide normal. The reference shown below is specific to this biomarker.
This ratio does not have a widely standardised reference range. The closely related transferrin saturation is more established, with roughly 20 to 45 percent regarded as typical in adults. Interpret the ratio as supporting context alongside transferrin saturation rather than against a fixed cutoff.
Serum iron fluctuates through the day and rises after iron intake, so morning fasting sampling is preferred. Transferrin rises in iron deficiency and pregnancy and falls in inflammation and liver disease. These shifts can move the ratio independently of true iron status.
Read with its components, serum iron and transferrin, and alongside transferrin saturation, ferritin and total iron-binding capacity.
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