title: Treatment of hyperferritinemia.
abstract: Elevated serum ferritin, or hyperferritinemia, is a common finding on routine bloodwork and often prompts referral for further evaluation. In the following review, we outline the various causes of hyperferritinemia and point out that, in the majority of cases, this does not represent true iron overload. Despite much research interest in this area, the precise mechanism of hyperferritinemia and its impact on disease severity in various clinical conditions continues to be debated. While some research suggests that iron reduction  in  cases  of  hyperferritinemia  is  of  benefit,  the  decision  to  treat  such  patients  should  be individualized, and may be influenced by the presence of other features of iron overload.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Canada.
authors.forename: Melanie D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Beaton
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D018962:Phlebotomy; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins