Hemoglobin levels in Qinghai-Tibet: different effects of gender for Tibetans vs. Han

Abstract

The Tibetan population, long a resident on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, has lower hemoglobin concentrations than Han Chinese migrants, but it is incompletely known how gender affects the hemoglobin concentrations in the two populations at various altitudes. Measurements of hemoglobin concentration were obtained in 5,887 healthy male and female Tibetan and Han residents aged 5-60 yr, at altitudes of 2,664, 3,813, 4,525, and 5,200 m. Multiple regression equations showed the beta-coefficients for altitude and for age were higher (P < 0.05) in Han men than in Tibetan men and in Han women than in Tibetan women. Analysis indicated a significant three-way interaction between altitude, gender, and ethnicity (chi2 = 3.72, P = 0.05). With increasing altitude, men progressively had more hemoglobin than women in the Han, but not the Tibetan, population. Above 2,664 m, this gender-related difference in hemoglobin concentration increased from childhood to young adulthood more in Han than in Tibetans. We suggest that the Han-Tibetan ethnic difference in the effect of altitude on hemoglobin concentration depends to a large extent on gender.

Serum testosterone levels and excessive erythrocytosis during the process of adaptation to high altitudes

“…The Hans have resided there for no more than 70 years, and they show higher Hb levels than the Tibetans. 2,5 Similarly, Peruvian populations located in the southern Andes show lower Hb levels and longer generational lives than populations in the central Andes 4 ( Table 1).…”

“…These populations differ according to the antiquity of life in the highlands and patterns of adaptation. [2][3][4][5] The oldest populations living at HA are the Tibetans and Ethiopians. 2,3 Tibetans have resided at HA for more than 25 000 years.…”

Diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in children of Northeast Brazil

“…Moreover, hemoglobin concentration varies between individuals by sex, age, ethnic group and altitude. 6,25,26 In addition, although internationally adopted, the cut-off point to classify anemic infants is not a consensus. 8 Changes in hemoglobin concentration occur gradually but the parameters recommended for diagnosing anemia are fi xed for each age group, and the higher rate of growth during infancy is not taken into account, making it diffi cult to determine exclusively based on this indicator whether iron defi ciency is due to physiological variations during infancy.…”

High Altitude Renal Syndrome (HARS)

“…21 This suggests better genetic adaptation of the Tibetan ethnic group. [19][20][21][22] In contrast, research performed in Andean populations show a CMS prevalence of 8.5 to 15.6%. 23,24 With respect to the Amhara, whose residence at high altitude has been the longest, there have been no reported cases of CMS.…”