Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
Read more health news
Serum Hemoglobin - Hemoglobin
Overview & Description
Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen from the lungs to cells throughout the body, and carries carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs. A hemoglobin test measures the level of this protein in a sample of blood.
Who is a candidate for the test?
Often, this test is done as part of a complete blood count, or CBC. Or it may be done:
How is the test performed?
Blood for the test is usually taken from a person's forearm. First, a tight band is put on the upper arm to make the veins swell below it. An area of skin on the forearm over the vein chosen is cleansed. Then a needle is inserted into the vein and a sample of blood is collected in a tube.
Occasionally blood is taken from another site, such as a finger or heel. If so, the skin is cleansed and pricked with a sharp tool called a lancet. Drops of blood are collected in a tiny tube. The blood is analyzed at a lab.
Preparation & Expectations
What is involved in preparation for the test?
Generally, no preparation is needed.
Results and Values
What do the test results mean?
Age, sex, and other factors cause normal ranges for hemoglobin to vary. Generally, healthy test ranges are:
Low values of hemoglobin generally mean that a person has a low red blood cell count, which is also called anemia. Anemia has many possible causes. Common causes include:
Increased hemoglobin levels can occur for several reasons. Common causes include:
Depending on the results of this test and the suspected cause of the results, the healthcare provider may suggest a treatment or further tests.
Attribution
Author:Francesca Coltrera, BA
Date Written:
Editor:Evans, Gwen, BA
Edit Date:04/23/00
Reviewer:Adam Brochert, MD
Date Reviewed:09/24/01
Sources
Anderson KN, Anderson LE, Glanze WD. Mosby's medical, nursing, and allied health dictionary, 5th ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1998.
Miller BF, Keane, CB. Encyclopedia and dictionary of medicine, nursing, and allied health, 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: WB Saunders Company, 1987.
Mosby's manual of diagnostic and laboratory tests. Kathleen D. Pagana and Timothy J. Pagana. St. Louis: Mosby, 1998. (256)
Report of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Guide to clinical preventive services, 2nd ed. Alexandria, Virginia: International Medical Publishing, 1996.