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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Contraception. 2011 Feb 24;84(3):285–290. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2011.01.012

Table 2.

Biomarkers of iron stores (mean±SD or median (IQR)) by progestin type

Estranes/Gonanes Drospiredone Reference
Value* 		p-value
Serum iron (mcg/dL) 96±36 65±20 49–158 0.04
Total iron binding capacity (mcg/dL) 508±28 486±27 463–535 0.10
Transferrin saturation (%) 19±6 13±4 10–30 0.04
Serum ferritin (ng/mL) 15 (10–25) 23 (10–44) 8–45 0.54
% Serum ferritin <12 ng/mL 38% 29% - 0.68
*

Reference values are based on 5th-95th percentiles derived from our study sample of pre-menopausal females taking OCPs.