What is the optimal haemoglobin level?

[Carrie234]

I was wondering what is the optimal haemoglobin level?

Mine is 137g/L with a range of around 120-270 (from monitor my health green area estimated values).

Thanks very much

[Narwhal10]

Hi Carrie234,

Look, I’ll say it as it is, your results for Haemoglobin are ‘in range’. It is just a number on a screen in g/L which was analysed at a specific time and date. If I processed your sample 5 minutes later, I can guarantee that 137 would become a different value. Plus, it is only a small part of a Full Blood Count where other types of blood cells and their size are reported on.

In order to understand someone’s physical health and ascertain a diagnosis and a Treatment Plan, you require the following knowledge :-

Age, Gender, Ethnic Origin, Number of pregnancies, births, Family History, operations, other diagnoses, medication, Employment, Social Status, Nutritional Status, Smoking, Alcohol, Exercise, Blood work, presenting signs and symptoms and last but not least, a Physical Examination from head to toe.

An isolated blood result says pretty much nothing. Laboratory’s choose their own ranges. A Clinician or yourself puts a whole array of information together for an Individual for their own unique Clinical Picture.

It is a Whole Systems approach. But the Clinical Picture changes over time because the Human Body does this amazing thing called Homeostasis. We are ‘warm bloodied’ animals and capable of regulating our own temperature.

So, is a core temperature of 36.7 degrees centigrade more optimal than a core temperature of 37.2 degrees centigrade ? It does not matter in the slightest because honestly, it really is just splitting hairs.

Take care.

[Carrie234 in reply to Narwhal10]

Thank you Narwhal10!

[Carrie234]

Just to add - the reason I wondered was because in the 'iron repair' manual pdf from the '3 arrows' heme iron people, they say that the optimal range for haemoglobin was 14-15, with a normal range of 12-15 (USA values I suppose). I'd never heard of people stating an optimal haemoglobin level before, so I wanted to find out the opinion here. All answered by Narwhal10, many thanks!

[FlipperTD]

Scientist, not medic. Now to get a bit technical.

Your kidneys monitor your oxygen saturation in your venous blood. If they detect a fall in oxygen, then they secrete a hormone. [Erythropoietin, Epo.] Epo acts on your red cell precursors in the bone marrow and encourages them to make more red cells. Then when the oxygen level detected in your kidneys rises, Epo secretion is backed off once more. All this without us having to think about it. This planet being what it is, with bumps in the surface, then the air's thinner as you climb. Consequently, your kidneys think 'what's going on here?' and pump out a bit more Epo. So, if you go to the Himalayas, then as you climb, your oxygen level falls, Epo rises, and Hb rises to carry more oxygen, until you're in balance once more.

One fairly elegant experiment was done in the Alps. It was noted that rabbits at low levels had lower Hb levels than those at altitude. When rabbits from low altitude were relocated to higher levels, their Hb level went up.

Please note that as Hb level rises, so does the RBC count, and the Haematocrit [packed cell volume. PCV.] Blood's funny stuff. As the PCV rises, the blood becomes more viscous. consequently it's harder to pump it through blood vessels, so the expected benefit of a rise in Hb isn't reflected in performance. Once the PCV rises above around 50%, the viscosity increases fairly spectacularly, and there are health risks associated with this.

'Blood doping' is a dirty trick that has been played by endurance athletes. Take a blood donation, allow the body to make up the difference, and then re-infuse the subject's own blood. So, a short term benefit it seen, and this has 'probably' been done by cyclists. This is to avoid injections of Epo [banned as it's performance enhancing] but it has the same effect. Training at altitude is however perfectly legal. Marathon runners training in high mountainous areas have a physiological advantage over those training at sea level.

[Carrie234 in reply to FlipperTD]

That is all so interesting, FlipperTD, thank you so much! I will hopefully retain the info too due to the real world examples. It makes me ponder on how blood oxygenation as measured by the blood oximeter device is related to anemia, and whether high blood oxygenation = low haemoglobin, hmmm....