A Iron Blood Test is done to check iron levels in the blood. Iron (Fe) is a necessary mineral for the proper function of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. It is also needed for proper muscle and organ function. About three-fourths of the body's iron is bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells, while the rest is either bound to other proteins (transferrin in blood or ferritin in bone marrow) or stored in other body tissues. When red blood cells die, their iron is released and carried by transferrin to the bone marrow. In the bone marrow, iron is stored and used as needed to make new red blood cells.
The original source of all the body's iron is food (such as liver and other meat, eggs, fish, and leafy green vegetables). Generally, only about 5% to 10% of the iron in food is actually absorbed, unless the body needs more because of rapid growth (such as during adolescence), pregnancy, breast-feeding, or at times when there are low levels of iron in the body (such as after bleeding).
Healthy adult men usually get enough iron from the food they eat. Men have enough reserves of iron in their bodies to last for several years, even if they take in no new iron. Therefore, men rarely develop an iron deficiency. Women, however, can lose large amounts of iron because of menstrual bleeding, during pregnancy, or while breast-feeding. Therefore, women are more likely than men to develop an iron deficiency and may need to take an iron supplement. Iron deficiency in men and women past menopause usually is related to abnormal bleeding.
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