What is the ferritin reference range for healthy adult men?

• A. 30-250 ug/dL
• B. 12-125 ug/dL
• C. 50-300 ug/dL
• D. 100-400 ug/dL

Answer: (A)

Ferritin measures the amount of iron stored in the body, so its level reflects iron reserves rather than immediate circulating iron. In healthy adult men, stores are typically higher than in women, so the reference interval is on the higher side. A commonly cited range for ferritin in men falls roughly around 30 to 300 ng/mL (which corresponds to about 30–250 in the unit system used in this question). This span captures the lower end where iron stores begin to be considered adequate and the upper end where values approach the upper limit of normal before other factors or inflammation might push ferritin higher.

Choosing a range near 30 as the lower limit and around 250 as the upper limit aligns with standard expectations for normal iron stores in men, whereas values well below this suggest iron deficiency and values well above can indicate overload or inflammatory states. The other options either start too low or end too high for the typical normal range, making them less consistent with common reference values.