Supplements
fibromyalgia correlates with ferritin
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-15 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
Fibromyalgia is associated with lower serum ferritin, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 vs controls (object generalized to all three; ferritin used as the anchor node).
The evidence (11)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustafa M, Bawazir Y, Mukhtar M, Mosli M, Butt N, Jahhaf J, Alghamdi K, Alsolaimani R 2026 · Journal of clinical medicine | observational | tested-null | low | Cross-sectional study of 274 IBD patients (51 with comorbid FM); FM patients were more likely to have low Vitamin D levels than those without FM. |
| Kim H, Ko DS 2024 · J Clin Med | observational | contradicts | low | Two-sample Mendelian randomization using GWAS for iron, copper, zinc and magnesium against a chronic widespread pain GWAS of 461,857 Europeans; CWP cases were 'self-reported diagnoses of fibromyalgia or pain lasting more than three months in the knee, shoulder, hip, back, or body.' Higher genetically predicted iron slightly raised CWP risk (IVW OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, p = 0.029); 'No significant associations were found for copper, zinc, and magnesium levels.' No ferritin, vitamin D or B12 measured; outcome is a pain composite, not fibromyalgia vs controls. |
| Pervaz H, Rafique A, Khan HHI, Javed R, Arif S, Khaliq SS, Ghazanfar S, Ishfaq A 2026 · Cureus | observational | mixed | low | Cross-sectional study of 241 FMS patients (ACR 2016 criteria); serum vitamin B12 and ferritin were significantly lower in patients with neuropathic pain vs those without (p=0.001, p=0.005). |
| Bingol MK, Akturk S, Buyukavci R, Zontul S 2025 · J Coll Physicians Surg Pak | observational | mixed | low | FMS: B12 and ferritin vs severity/neuropathic pain partial and inconsistent |
| Kucuk A, Baykara RA, Tuzcu A, Omma A, Cure MC, Cure E, Acet GK, Dogan E 2021 · Rom J Intern Med | observational | supports | moderate | Ferritin/B12/folate status linked to FMS vs healthy controls. |
| Okan S, Caglıyan Turk A, Sıvgın H, Ozsoy F, Okan F 2019 · Croat Med J | observational | supports | moderate | Case-control, 100 non-anemic FMS vs 100 controls: ferritin <30 ng/mL in 64% vs 42% (P = 0.002); median 20.95 vs 34.91 ng/mL (P < 0.001). Lower ferritin correlates with FMS. Within FMS, ferritin showed no association with anxiety, depression, sleep or physical function (FIQ) — the earlier extract's 'associated with worse depression/anxiety/sleep' was wrong. |
| Zeng W, Hu M, Ma L, Huang F, Jiang Z 2025 · Scientific Reports | observational | supports | moderate | Two-sample Mendelian randomization; genetically higher copper was associated with increased FM risk (OR 1.095), while genetically higher iron was associated with decreased FM risk (OR 0.440); no association for selenium/zinc. |
| Cure O, Kizilkaya B, Ciftel S, Klisic A, Ciftel E, Mercantepe F 2024 · Clinical and experimental rheumatology | observational | mixed | moderate | Retrospective cross-sectional study, 174 FM patients vs 186 healthy controls; magnesium and ferritin were significantly higher in controls than FM (i.e. lower in FM, p<0.001/p<0.001), B12 and folate showed no significant difference, and vit |
| Ismail O, Albdour K, Albdour Z, Jaber K 2025 · Musculoskeletal Care | meta-analysis | supports | moderate | Fibromyalgia patients had significantly lower serum ferritin, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 than controls. |
| Telli H et al 2024 · Current medical research and opinion | observational | mixed | moderate | Cross-sectional study of 660 nociplastic-pain patients; vitamin D and B12 were lower in patients with chronic widespread pain, while ferritin and hemoglobin were elevated (not lower) in this group. |
| Mader R, Koton Y, Buskila D, Herer P, Elias M 2012 · Rheumatol Int | observational | contradicts | moderate | Non-anemic FM patients showed NO reduction in serum iron or ferritin vs controls |
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