My diabetes is under control but the hemoglobin level is 17.9g%. The doctor says it should not exceed 15g% and wants to remove some of my blood. That sounds dire! What could be the cause and what are the treatments available to lower hemoglobin?
You may be suffering from a condition called Polycythemia Vera where the hemoglobin values tend to go higher than 18g%. When hemoglobin levels are high the blood tends to be thicker, and can cause clotting in critically narrowed arteries, a typical side effect of diabetes. The simplest treatment for polycythemia Vera is blood donation every now and again (about once in 3-6 months), depending on the level of hemoglobin. However, you would do well to see a hematologist to confirm this diagnosis.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 11th, 2009 at 1:55 am and is filed under Blood Presuure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.