optimal conditions for measuring ferritin and transferrin
optimal conditions for measuring ferritin and transferrin
What are the optimal conditions for drawing blood to measure ferritin and transferrin levels? For instance, if it's true that ferritin levels drop by 30% at night (as was stated at the recent RLS conference), does the time of day at which the blood draw is done matter? Or, perhaps, time of day and how long you've been awake? Also, does fasting or not before the blood draw have an impact? If fasting is recommended, for how long? I might as well schedule my blood draw for conditions under which ferritin is most likely to register as low. If it doesn't measure low under those conditions, then I can more easily conclude it is not a factor in my PLMD and RLS. Can anyone on this discussion board who has acquired professional knowledge comment on these questions?
ferritin
rabbit9: the only info I know of you can find underneath:
Patient history
Before patients are tested for iron, they should be checked for any of the following factors:
Prescription medications that affect iron levels, absorption, or storage
Blood transfusion or radioactive medications within the last four days
Recent extreme stress or sleep deprivation
Recent eating habits. Test results can be affected by eating large amounts of iron-rich foods shortly before the blood test.
Fasting
Patients scheduled for an iron level, TIBC, or transferrin test should fast for 12 hours before the blood is drawn. They are allowed to drink water. Patients scheduled for a ferritin test do not need to fast but they should not have any alcoholic beverages before the test.
Aftercare
Corrie
Patient history
Before patients are tested for iron, they should be checked for any of the following factors:
Prescription medications that affect iron levels, absorption, or storage
Blood transfusion or radioactive medications within the last four days
Recent extreme stress or sleep deprivation
Recent eating habits. Test results can be affected by eating large amounts of iron-rich foods shortly before the blood test.
Fasting
Patients scheduled for an iron level, TIBC, or transferrin test should fast for 12 hours before the blood is drawn. They are allowed to drink water. Patients scheduled for a ferritin test do not need to fast but they should not have any alcoholic beverages before the test.
Aftercare
Corrie