If 2 lines appear against the test (T) and control (C) on your cassette, the ferritin concentration in your blood is normal.

What next?

Ferritin is a protein in your blood which carries iron and releases it when required by your body. Your ferritin levels are an indirect measure of the amount of iron in your body⁽¹⁾. A normal level of ferritin is considered a marker of good health.

Good dietary sources of iron include foods such as red meat, beans, lentils, dark green vegetables and iron-fortified bread and cereals⁽²⁾⁽³⁾. If your levels are normal, it suggests that your diet contains enough iron, and you are absorbing it well.

You may want to consider repeating this test every 6 months to ensure that you ferritin levels remain within a normal range.

To confirm your result, or to get an exact measurement of the ferritin levels in your blood, you might want to consider taking a confirmatory blood test. This type of test is sent off to a laboratory for analysis and can give an accurate reading of your ferritin levels.

If only 1 line appears against the C marker, the ferritin concentration in your blood is too low.

What next?

A low level of ferritin can indicate that you have iron deficiency. This can be caused by a diet that’s too low in iron or by blood loss⁽²⁾. In women of reproductive age heavy periods and pregnancy are common causes of this.

For all cases of low ferritin, it is important to arrange an appointment with your doctor to discuss your results to ensure there are no underlying causes.

If you find that your ferritin is low because of your diet, you can increase your iron intake by eating foods such as red meat, beans, lentils, dark green vegetables and iron-fortified bread and cereals⁽²⁾⁽³⁾. You can also take iron supplementation in the form of a tablet and your pharmacist can help you find the most suitable for you.

To confirm your result, or to get an exact measurement of the ferritin levels in your blood, you might want to consider taking a confirmatory blood test. This type of test is sent off to a laboratory for analysis and can give an accurate reading of your ferritin levels. You can then take your results to a healthcare professional who will give you advice on what to do next.

If a control line (C) fails to appear or only appears next to the test line (T) it is likely there was an insufficient volume of specimen to test, or the incorrect testing procedure was followed.

What next?

We recommend that you take another test. If this problem persists, please contact our customer care team for further assistance.