What usually happens next
Your doctor will look for why (periods, pregnancy, diet, or slow bleeding from the gut) and decide how to replace iron. Don't start iron without knowing the cause.
A hemoglobin on the same report shows whether it has become anaemia.
When a ferritin can read wrong
Ferritin is also an inflammation marker: an infection, an inflammatory condition, fatty liver or heavy drinking can push it up and hide low iron. In those cases a ferritin under 70 ng/mL can still mean iron deficiency.
Read it with
- Ferritin, explained in full
- Transferrin saturation
- Serum iron
- Hemoglobin
- Iron deficiency
- Haemochromatosis
Nearby results
Questions
Is a ferritin of 7 ng/mL normal?
A ferritin of 7 ng/mL is under 15 ng/mL, the WHO's line for iron deficiency in adults: your iron stores are empty. The usual range is about 30 to 300 ng/mL, depending on the lab, sex and age.
Is a ferritin of 7 ng/mL too low?
Under 15 ng/mL means iron stores are empty, and under 30 they're likely depleted. Between 30 and 45 it's low-normal; what matters is whether you're anaemic and why.
Can I take iron with a ferritin of 7 ng/mL?
Iron is something to replace with your doctor, after finding out why it's low, because taking it when you don't need it can do harm.
Worked out by LifeFrom from the WHO's 2020 ferritin guideline and the AGA guideline, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. For your own understanding: only a lab test, read by your clinician, diagnoses anything.