Ferritin Test
A ferritin test measures ferritin, a protein the body uses to store iron. Clinicians often look at ferritin to help evaluate the body's iron reserves, and it is a common part of understanding how iron is being held and used.
About this test
Ferritin is a protein found inside cells throughout the body, where it acts as the main way iron is kept in reserve. Rather than measuring the iron circulating in the bloodstream at a single moment, a ferritin test reflects how much iron the body has tucked away for later use.
The test is done with a routine blood draw at a patient service center. A phlebotomist collects a small sample from a vein, usually in the arm, and sends it to the laboratory.
Test details
| Quest code | 457 |
|---|---|
| Methodology | Immunoassay |
| Sample type | 1 mL serum |
| Collection | Quest patient service center |
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Additional details
What this test looks at
Ferritin describes the iron the body is holding in reserve. Cells package iron inside ferritin so it can be stored safely and released when the body needs it, and the amount stored tends to move slowly compared with the iron actively circulating. Because of that, ferritin can reflect longer-term trends in the body's iron supply.
It also helps to remember what ferritin is not. It does not describe how efficiently iron is being carried to tissues at any given moment, which is a different question that other markers address. That distinction is part of why a clinician may pair ferritin with additional iron-related tests to build a fuller picture.
How it's often used alongside other iron markers
Ferritin is frequently read together with other parts of an iron workup. Depending on what a clinician is exploring, it may be considered next to serum iron, transferrin, or total iron-binding capacity, each of which describes a different piece of how iron moves through and is stored in the body. Ferritin is also worth knowing as a marker that can shift with inflammation, which is one reason clinicians interpret it in context rather than on its own.
Read together, these markers offer a more complete sense of iron balance than any single one can provide. A clinician weighs the pattern across them, along with a person's history, before drawing any conclusions.
Order online and a physician order is included — no doctor's visit and no insurance needed. Your sample is collected at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center.
Laboratory results should always be interpreted by a licensed clinician who knows your health history. This page is information about a test, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does a ferritin test measure?
It measures ferritin, the protein the body uses to store iron. Ferritin reflects how much iron the body is holding in reserve rather than the iron moving through the bloodstream at a single moment.
How is ferritin different from a serum iron test?
Ferritin reflects stored iron, while serum iron describes the iron circulating in the blood right now. Clinicians often look at both, along with other markers, to understand iron balance more fully.
How is the sample collected?
Through a routine blood draw at a patient service center. A phlebotomist takes a small sample from a vein in the arm and sends it to the laboratory for analysis.
Do I need to fast before a ferritin test?
No preparation instructions are listed for this test, though people follow any instructions their ordering clinician provides.
Can a ferritin result be affected by anything besides iron?
Yes. Ferritin can rise with inflammation or recent illness, which is one reason a clinician interprets it alongside other markers and your history rather than reading it on its own.
What does a Ferritin test cost without insurance?
$15. Celio Health's price is a flat cash price and insurance is never billed: the required physician's order is included.