Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:20 — 7.9MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Blubrry | JioSaavn | Podchaser | Gaana | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More
The ferritin test may be the most important blood test you ever get, especially if you have a thyroid problem.
When I began my training in the diagnosis and management of internal disorders immediately after graduation, one of the first things we studied heavily was blood chemistry analysis. My teachers always stressed the importance of taking a careful look at iron levels in the blood and a rare test known as the ferritin test.
What is ferritin?
Ferritin is an iron-containing protein and is the primary form of iron stored inside your cells. Even though there is a small amount of ferritin released into your bloodstream, it is an accurate marker of how much iron is actually stored in your body. Iron is primarily stored in your liver, muscles, spleen and bone marrow but if you have too much it can accumulate in your organs and the brain.
