What does high TIBC saturation mean?

What does high TIBC saturation mean?

High TIBC means that you have low levels of iron. When there isn’t much iron to attach to, you’ll have a lot of free transferrin in your blood. Low iron levels can lead to iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which your body doesn’t have enough iron to make healthy red blood cells.

Why would TIBC be high?

If you have iron deficiency (a lack of iron in your blood), your iron level will be low but your TIBC will be high. If you have too much iron (for example, if you have a condition like haemochromatosis), your iron level will be high but your TIBC will be low or normal. Transferrin is a protein produced by the liver.

Why would my iron and iron saturation be high?

Key Points. Secondary iron overload results from excess absorption of iron, repeated blood transfusions, or excess oral intake. The effects of secondary iron overload include liver disease (leading to cirrhosis), skin pigmentation, diabetes, arthropathy, erectile dysfunction, and sometimes heart failure.

Does TIBC include saturation?

TIBC is a calculated parameter derived from the transferrin plasma concentration. In hereditary hemochromatosis, serum iron is usually > 150 μg/dL and iron (transferrin) saturation is greater than 60%. In advanced iron overload states, the percent saturation is often greater than 90%.

What happens if my iron saturation is high?

Hemochromatosis, or iron overload, is a condition in which your body stores too much iron. It’s often genetic. It can cause serious damage to your body, including to your heart, liver and pancreas. You can’t prevent the disease, but early diagnosis and treatment can avoid, slow or reverse organ damage.

What causes high iron saturation levels in females?

Hereditary hemochromatosis (he-moe-kroe-muh-TOE-sis) causes your body to absorb too much iron from the food you eat. Excess iron is stored in your organs, especially your liver, heart and pancreas. Too much iron can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as liver disease, heart problems and diabetes.

Why is TIBC high in iron deficiency?

In iron-deficient conditions, the relative transferrin content compared to iron content increases, and thus the TIBC values are high. The opposite happens in iron overloaded states of the body; the quantity of free transferrin in blood decreases, and consequently, TIBC values are low.

What does iron saturation level mean?

Summary. Iron saturation refers to the amount of iron that is present in the blood. Low iron saturation means that there is a low amount of iron in the blood. Transferrin binds to and transports iron, while ferritin stores this mineral in the body.

Why is TIBC high in iron deficiency anemia?

How is high iron saturation treated?

Iron chelation therapy involves taking oral or injected medicine to remove excess iron from the body. Medications can include a drug that binds the excess iron before the body excretes it. Although doctors do not tend to recommend this as a first-line treatment for hemochromatosis, it may be suitable for some people.

Is TIBC the same as transferrin saturation?

TIBC is the total of serum iron and UIBC. Percentage transferrin saturation is calculated by dividing serum iron by TIBC and multiplying the result by 100.

What is dangerously high iron saturation?

Serum transferrin saturation. This test measures the amount of iron bound to a protein (transferrin) that carries iron in your blood. Transferrin saturation values greater than 45% are considered too high.

What is a critical iron saturation level?

Another measurement, called transferrin saturation, checks how many places on your transferrin that can hold iron are actually doing so. Normal values are 15% to 50%. In severe cases of iron-deficiency and anemia, this number may fall below 10%.