What causes elevated hemoglobin concentration?
During a physical examination, it was found that my hemoglobin concentration is elevated. What could be the cause of this?
Doctor's answer (1)
Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration elevation, medically known as hyperhemoglobinemia, may be caused by various factors and can generally be categorized into physiological and pathological types.
1. Physiological causes:
Living at high altitudes: In high-altitude areas, due to the thin air and reduced oxygen availability, the body increases the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin to enhance the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
Newborns: At birth, infants typically have higher hemoglobin levels than adults because fetuses require more oxygen to adapt to the transition from maternal support to independent breathing.
Heavy smokers: Components in tobacco, such as nicotine, can increase carbon monoxide levels in the body, thereby stimulating the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells and hemoglobin.
2. Pathological causes:
Pulmonary diseases: Such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis, where long-term hypoxia can lead to secondary erythrocytosis.
Cardiac diseases: Such as congenital heart disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension, where impaired cardiac pumping function leads to tissue hypoxia, thereby stimulating red blood cell production.
Polycythemia vera: This condition may lead to abnormal proliferation of red blood cells or long-term hypoxia in the body, thus stimulating the bone marrow to generate more red blood cells, resulting in elevated hemoglobin concentration.
