Low normal hemoglobin is associated with increased risk of death
- Low normal hemoglobin is associated with increased long-term mortality
- The study covered 478 thousand adults with an average follow-up period of 13.6 years
- The results were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine
An international team of scientists led by Pierpaolo Pellicori from the University of Glasgow conducted a large-scale prospective study that revealed an unexpected pattern: hemoglobin levels at the lower limit of normal correlate with increased long-term mortality. The work included data from 477.9 thousand adults, with an average age of 58 years; among the participants, 54.4 percent were women.
The study was based on information from the UK Biobank, which contains biological samples and medical data from hundreds of thousands of volunteers. Hemoglobin tests conducted between 2006 and 2010 were examined. As reference values, the researchers used the criteria of the World Health Organization: for men, the lower limit of normal is set at 130 grams per liter, and for women, at 120 grams per liter. Any values below these thresholds are traditionally diagnosed as anemia.
The observation period for the health status of participants averaged 13.6 years. During this time, researchers recorded all cases of mortality within the cohort, which allowed for the identification of a statistical link between baseline hemoglobin levels and subsequent risk of death.
The significance of the discovery
The results obtained provide an important clarification in understanding the role of hemoglobin in the human body. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen. For a long time, medicine considered the normal level of this indicator to be relatively safe; however, new research indicates that even within the normal range, there is a gradient of risk.
Such observations may have practical significance for prevention and early diagnosis. Doctors and patients can now view indicators at the lower boundary of the normal range as a potential marker of increased risk and a basis for more careful health monitoring, additional examinations, or corrective interventions.
The study was published in the prestigious medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, which confirms its scientific significance and has undergone peer review.
Source: N+1
