Are hemoglobin levels elevated in type 1 diabetes?
OBJECTIVE
While lower hemoglobin is generally associated with adverse events in diabetes, we have recently observed in type 1 diabetes that those with overt nephropathy had hemoglobin levels as high as 18.8 g/dl. We thus explored whether hemoglobin concentrations are generally higher in type 1 diabetes.


METHODS
Baseline (1986-1988) hemoglobin levels from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study (EDC) of type 1 diabetes were compared with general population data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III in the same age range as the EDC population (aged 8-48 years).


RESULTS
Both male and female EDC study participants had significantly higher hemoglobin levels than their NHANES III counterparts (men: 16.0 vs. 15.1 g/dl, P < 0.0001; women: 14.1 vs. 13.3 g/dl, P < 0.0001). The difference between the two populations was greatest in adolescent female subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Hemoglobin levels may be higher in type 1 diabetes than in the general population, which may have important clinical implications.
Conway
Baqiyyah N
BN
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvantia, USA.
Miller
Rachel G
RG
Orchard
Trevor J
TJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy; D018401:Sample Size; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006454:Hemoglobins