Testing For Iron

A/Prof Ken Sikaris

writer

A/Prof Ken Sikaris

Principal Fellow of the Department of Pathology at Melbourne University, and Director of Clinical Support Services for Sonic Healthcare

A/Prof Ken Sikaris

Blood tests for iron status are among the most common requested in clinical medicine. This may be largely justified because of the prevalence of iron deficiency combined with a relatively common genetic condition of haemochromatosis.

In Australia, iron deficiency, defined by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) as a ferritin level below 30 ug/L, affects only 3.4% of men but 22.3% of women according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics survey in 2011-2012. The issue in women is particularly related to premenopausal women (16-44 years) where 34.1% are iron deficient.

This is not surprising when nutrition surveys show that 40% of premenopausal women have inadequate dietary iron intake.

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A/Prof Ken Sikaris

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A/Prof Ken Sikaris

Principal Fellow of the Department of Pathology at Melbourne University, and Director of Clinical Support Services for Sonic Healthcare

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