# American Society of Hematology iron deficiency guidelines

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/american-society-of-hematology-iron-deficiency-guidelines
> Updated: 2026-10-07T19:31:19.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has issued new clinical guidelines to improve the early diagnosis of iron deficiency by establishing updated serum ferritin thresholds. These guidelines aim to prevent cases where low ferritin levels are incorrectly labeled as ‘normal’ by current laboratory standards, which can lead to clinicians overlooking deficiency in patients who have not yet developed anemia.

The recommendations specify different thresholds based on age and risk: children aged 9 months to 4 years are set at 20 ng/ml or less; most adults, including pregnant and menstruating individuals, at 30 ng/ml or less; and certain high-risk groups at up to 50 ng/ml. For adults experiencing inflammation, the threshold is defined as a serum ferritin lower than 100 ng/ml or a transferrin saturation below 20 percent.

To support clinical intervention, the ASH panel is encouraging laboratories to integrate these new thresholds directly into clinical reports to assist healthcare providers in identifying at-risk patients before cellular function in the immune system, muscles, and brain is affected.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-07: American Society of Hematology issues new iron deficiency guidelines

New American Society of Hematology guidelines establish higher ferritin thresholds to better diagnose iron deficiency and prevent patients from progressing to anemia.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/american-society-of-hematology-issues-new-iron-deficiency-guidelines

### 2026-09-16: American Society of Hematology sets new ferritin thresholds for iron deficiency

The American Society of Hematology has issued new clinical guidelines establishing higher ferritin thresholds to ensure earlier and more accurate diagnosis of iron deficiency across various populations.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/american-society-of-hematology-sets-new-ferritin-thresholds-for-iron-deficiency

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Cite as: American Society of Hematology iron deficiency guidelines. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/american-society-of-hematology-iron-deficiency-guidelines