Blood health
Hemoglobin (Hb)
Hb, Hgb
Included in every MyHealthspan membership: Focus, Baseline, and Complete.
Compare membershipsHow well your blood carries oxygen.
Hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein inside red blood cells that picks up oxygen in your lungs and delivers it to the rest of your body. It's one of the main results used to help assess anemia.
A low result is a starting point for questions.
Anemia means your hemoglobin is below the expected range for your age and sex. It can leave you tired or short of breath, though mild anemia may cause no noticeable symptoms.
The cause matters as much as the number. Low iron, low vitamin B12 or folate, blood loss (including heavy periods), and long-term health conditions can all lower hemoglobin. Your iron results and red cell measures such as MCV help point toward the reason.
Hemoglobin shows that something may be off. Your other results help explain why.
Questions
What can raise hemoglobin?
Dehydration, smoking, living at high altitude, and sleep apnea can all push hemoglobin up. So can testosterone therapy and anabolic steroids. Less often, a higher level points to a lung or heart condition, or to a bone marrow condition that makes too many red cells.
Do men and women have different ranges?
Yes. Labs usually set different reference ranges by sex and age, and pregnancy changes the expected range too. Your report compares your result with the range that applies to you.