- Hemoglobin reference values
- What can be high hemoglobin
- Causes of low hemoglobin
- Glycated hemoglobin
- Hemoglobin in urine
Hemoglobin, or Hb, is a component of red blood cells and its main function is to transport oxygen to the tissues. Hb consists of the heme group, which is formed by iron, and globin chains, which can be alpha, beta, gamma or delta, resulting in the main types of hemoglobin, such as:
- HbA1, which is formed by two alpha chains and two beta chains and is present in a higher concentration in the blood; HbA2, which is formed by two alpha chains and two delta chains; HbF, which is formed by two alpha chains and two gamma chains and is present in greater concentration in newborns, with their concentration decreased according to development.
In addition to these main types, there are still Hb Gower I, Gower II and Portland, which are present during embryonic life, with a decrease in their concentration and an increase in HbF as birth approaches.
There are also some variant or abnormal hemoglobins that may be present due to structural or functional changes in hemoglobin, which may indicate some diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, for example. Therefore, it is important to perform hemoglobin electrophoresis, in addition to other tests, to check for the possibility of diseases related to hemoglobin synthesis. Understand how hemoglobin electrophoresis is done.
The hemoglobin concentration in the red blood cell can be measured by means of a conventional blood test, the complete blood count, or by means of a rapid measuring device, similar to the diabetes device. According to the amount of hemoglobin present in the red blood cell and the result of other hematological tests, it is possible to know the general state of health of the person.
Hemoglobin reference values
The hemoglobin reference values are:
- Children aged 2 to 6 years: 11.5 to 13.5 g / dL; Children from 6 to 12 years old: 11.5 to 15.5 g / dL; Men: 14 to 18 g / dL; Women: 12 to 16 g / dL; Pregnant women: 11 g / dL.
These values may vary between clinical analysis laboratories.
What can be high hemoglobin
High hemoglobin in the blood can be caused by:
- Tobacco use; Dehydration; Pulmonary emphysema; Pulmonary fibrosis; Polycythemia; Kidney tumor; Use of anabolic steroids or the hormone erythropoietin.
High hemoglobin is characterized by symptoms such as dizziness, bluish skin on the lips and fingertips and, in rarer cases, temporary loss of vision and hearing.
Causes of low hemoglobin
The decrease in the amount of hemoglobin can happen in the case of anemia, cirrhosis, lymphoma, leukemia, hypothyroidism, renal failure, thalassemia, porphyria and hemorrhage, for example. In addition, low hemoglobin can also happen due to iron and vitamin deficiency, in addition to the use of drugs to treat cancer and AIDS, for example.
The low number of hemoglobin in the blood can cause symptoms such as frequent tiredness, shortness of breath and pallor. The cause must be identified and treatment started according to medical advice.
If you have had a blood test recently and want to know what it might mean, enter your details below:
Glycated hemoglobin
Glycated hemoglobin, also called glycosylated hemoglobin, is a diagnostic test that aims to check the amount of medical glucose in the blood during 3 months, being very suitable for diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes, as well as assessing its severity.
The normal value of glycated hemoglobin is 5.7% and diabetes is confirmed when the value is equal to or greater than 6.5%. Learn more about glycated hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin in urine
The presence of hemoglobin in the urine is called hemoglobinuria and is usually indicative of kidney infection, malaria or lead poisoning, for example. The identification of hemoglobin in the urine is done through a simple urine test, called EAS.
In addition to hemoglobin, hematocrit values also indicate changes in blood such as anemia and leukemia. See what hematocrit is and how to understand its result.
