In iron deficiency anemia, patients often exhibit what lab finding?

In iron deficiency anemia, a hallmark laboratory finding is low hemoglobin levels. This condition arises when there is insufficient iron in the body to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. As a result of the decreased hemoglobin concentration, patients commonly present with symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and pallor due to reduced oxygen delivery to tissues.

When considering the other lab findings: elevated serum ferritin would indicate body iron stores, which are typically low in iron deficiency anemia. Increased reticulocyte count might be observed in response to treatment for anemia but is generally low in untreated iron deficiency anemia because the bone marrow lacks the necessary iron to produce new red blood cells. Elevated serum iron is not characteristic of iron deficiency; instead, serum iron levels are often low or normal in this condition due to iron depletion in the body.

Thus, low hemoglobin is the appropriate finding associated with iron deficiency anemia and reflects the underlying pathology of impaired red blood cell production due to inadequate iron availability.