What Diseases Cause High Ferritin Levels?
High ferritin levels, often indicating an iron overload, aren't caused by a single disease but are associated with several conditions. It's important to note that high ferritin doesn't always mean iron overload; inflammation can also elevate ferritin levels.
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Inflammatory Disorders: Many inflammatory conditions cause elevated ferritin. Examples include adult-onset Still's disease and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Inflammation itself triggers the increase, not necessarily excessive iron. [Mayo Clinic, Pubmed]
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Liver Disease: Liver conditions, particularly non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fatty liver disease, are frequently linked to high ferritin levels. Fatty liver is a very common cause in outpatients. [BC Guidelines, Cleveland Clinic, RACGP]
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Alcohol Excess: Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to elevated ferritin levels. [BC Guidelines, RACGP, PMC]
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Malignancy (Cancer): Certain cancers can be associated with high ferritin. [Cleveland Clinic, MFT NHS]
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Renal Failure: Kidney failure can also result in elevated ferritin. [BC Guidelines]
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Metabolic Syndrome: Individuals with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar, may have elevated ferritin. [RACGP, PMC]
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Hemochromatosis: While less common than the above, hereditary hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder leading to iron overload and high ferritin levels. [BC Guidelines, Cleveland Clinic]
Understanding High Ferritin:
It's crucial to remember that high ferritin alone doesn't diagnose a specific disease. A comprehensive evaluation, including considering the patient's medical history, symptoms, and other blood tests, is needed to determine the underlying cause. This evaluation may involve assessing factors like alcohol consumption, obesity, family history of iron overload, and signs/symptoms of malignancy or inflammatory disorders. [MFT NHS]
