Physiologically Based Ferritin Thresholds for Iron Deficiency ID'd for Children

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on May 28, 2026.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, May 28, 2026 -- Physiologically based ferritin thresholds for iron deficiency (ID) onset are consistently higher than current U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thresholds for children, according to a study published online May 20 in Blood Red Cells & Iron.

Yaw Addo, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues examined physiologically based ferritin thresholds for defining ID in children aged 5 to 14 years, based on ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb) data analyzed from 3,765 apparently healthy U.S. children. To identify ferritin thresholds at ID onset, nonlinear ferritin concentration curves (Hb-ferritin and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin [ZPP]-ferritin) and differential equations were applied.

The researchers found that the ferritin curve inflection for ID occurred at 23.9 µg/L with Hb and 25.0 µg/L with ZPP. There were no interanalyte, age, or sex differences. Using CDC thresholds, the prevalence of ID and ID anemia was 9.0 and 0.5 percent, respectively, compared with 30.0 and 1.0 percent using physiologically based thresholds.

"This study applied a new methodology to identify ID and found that iron can already be low and possibly start to affect children's health when ferritin is less than 24 μg/L. The findings of this study might help identify earlier stages of ID than the previously recommended cutoff," coauthor Maria Elena D. Jefferds, Ph.D., also from the CDC, said in a statement.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-29 03:14

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