Serum iron test

The iron in your blood today, not your store.

€3.93. You pay at the desk, not online.

Serum iron test: what it is for

Serum iron is the iron circulating in your blood right now. It does not show how much iron you have put aside: that is ferritin. It changes a lot from day to day, which is why it is read together with other tests.

Why it is done

Iron carries oxygen to your muscles and brain. In the blood it travels bound to a carrier protein, transferrin: serum iron measures this iron.

On its own it says little, because it changes a lot. But it is used to calculate transferrin saturation, which shows how much iron is ready to use.

How the serum iron test is done

It is a blood test, done at a Bianalisi lab without a prescription. You can add other tests to the same draw.

Questions about the serum iron test.

Do I need to fast for a serum iron test? Yes, it is better. A meal or an iron supplement changes it for a few hours. You can drink water.

How much does the serum iron test cost? €3.93, from Bianalisi’s private list for Lombardy. You pay at the desk on the day of the draw, not online.

Do I need a prescription for the serum iron test? No. You book it here without a prescription and pay at the Bianalisi desk.

When do results arrive? Within 10 working days, in the Rosa app, with each value next to the lab’s interval. The report a doctor approves is in the Rosa membership.