High hemoglobin count
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-hemoglobin-count/MY00112
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
A high hemoglobin count indicates an above-average concentration of the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin (Hg or Hgb) is the main component of red blood cells. Hemoglobin count - also referred to as hemoglobin level - indicates your blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
A high hemoglobin count is somewhat different from a high red blood cell count, because each cell may not have the same amount of hemoglobin proteins. Therefore, you could have a high hemoglobin count even if your red blood cell count falls within the normal range.
The threshold for a high hemoglobin count is slightly different from one medical practice to another. It's generally defined as more than 17.5 grams (g) of hemoglobin per deciliter (dL) of blood for men and 15.5 g/dL for women. In children, the definition of a high hemoglobin count varies with age and sex.
Causes
High hemoglobin count may occur because:
- Your red blood cell production increases to compensate for chronically low blood oxygen levels due to poor heart or lung function.
- You have a bone marrow dysfunction that results in increased production of red blood cells.
- Your red blood cell production increases to compensate for a limited oxygen supply in higher altitudes.
- You smoke.
- You've taken drugs or hormones, most commonly erythropoietin (EPO), that stimulate red blood cell production. You're not likely to get a high hemoglobin count from EPO given to you if you have chronic kidney disease. However, EPO doping — getting injections to enhance athletic performance — can cause a high hemoglobin count.
Specific disorders or other factors that may cause high hemoglobin count include:
- COPD
- Dehydration
- Emphysema
- Heart failure
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Living at a high altitude, where there's less oxygen in the air
- Other types of heart disease
- Other types of lung disease
- Polycythemia vera
- Smoking, which may result in low blood oxygen levels
When to see a doctor
A high hemoglobin count is rarely an unexpected finding or simply discovered by chance. It's usually found when your doctor has ordered tests to help diagnose a condition you're already experiencing. Talk to your doctor about what these results mean. A high hemoglobin count and results from other tests may already indicate the cause of your illness, or your doctor may suggest other tests to check your condition.
- Fischbach FT, et al. A Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009:96.
- Hemoglobin. Mayo Medical Laboratories. http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/print/9109. Accessed Dec. 17, 2012.
- Goroll AH, et al. Primary Care Medicine: Office Evaluation and Management of the Adult Patient. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009. http://gateway.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&MODE=ovid&PAGE=main&D=baov&PCOSTART=goroll. Accessed Dec. 18, 2012.
Share on:
Find Mayo Clinic on