Life of red blood cells

[Ela1]

Gallo

Does anyone know if preniscious anemia shorthens the length of life of red blood cells. I'm being tested for diabetics and it would change the result of the test as it is just on TT he border.

[wedgewood]

Untreated Pernicious Anaemia leads to immature enlarged red blood cells which cannot pass through cell walls . Correct treatment ( and this varies from person to person) allows the cells to mature and become small enough to get to where they are needed

I have not heard that PA shortens the life of red blood cells .

[fbirder in reply to wedgewood]

Red blood cells never pass through cell walls.

Perhaps you’re thinking of the idea that the large red cells caused by a B12 deficiency can not pass through the small blood vessels (capillaries)? I’m afraid that’s not correct either. The red cells in macrocytic anaemia are only about 10% larger than normal and capillaries can easily accommodate that extra size.

Which is a very good thing. One of the reasons why sickle cell anaemia can be so painful is that the misshapen red cells clump together and the clumps can’t get through capillaries. If the same happened with macrocytic anaemia it would be very obvious.

[wedgewood in reply to fbirder]

Thanks fbirder . I somehow thought that the enlarged red blood corpuscles caused by PA were unable to get to where they needed to be , causing symptoms like breathlessness . They must have some detrimental effect

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to wedgewood]

Wedgewood, being larger and rounder changes the ratio of surface area to volume, so whilst macrocytic red blood cells can carry more oxygen it takes longer to get into and out of the red blood cell. This means they are less efficient at picking up oxygen in your lungs and releasing it to cells where it is needed,

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Ela1 I think blood cells gave an average life span of three months which is why the HbA1c test for diabetes is done within that length of time

I have both P.A. and Diabetes am not medically trained and like wedgewood not heard that PA shortens the life of red blood cells .

Coincidentally I had both my B12 injection and HbA1c test yesterday morning.

I wish you well.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

hbA1c is a protein that is found in the blood - I don't think it is specifically bound to red blood cells.

Even if it was, B12 deficiency doesn't change the life-span of red blood cells - it just affects their shape.

[wedgewood in reply to Gambit62]

Thanks Gambit 62 . I don’t know how I got hold of that erroneous information . But I realised that the large cells had some sort of ill-effect . After I had to go to a private doctor for my diagnosis of PA , my own GP then looked at the blood test again -B12 blood serum 150 - considered to be normal, and noticed at last that I had enlarged red blood cells . At the time I was terribly breathless plus all the other symptoms . I thought it must be the fault of the enlarged blood cells .

Thanks again . Perhaps my faulty information could be erased ?