Variation of the Hemoglobin Level with Age and Sex

Abstract

During the winter and spring of 1952-53 a survey of hemoglobin values was made in Halifax among 1308 male subjects 6 to 98 years of age, and 1424 female subjects 6 to 94 years of age. Among children 6 to 14 years old the values increased from about 13 to about 14 Gm. per 100 ml. of blood, and there were essentially no differences between the sexes. The average value for both the boys and the girls was 13.5 Gm. In girls between 14 and 20 years of age the hemoglobin values decreased slightly, reaching about 13 Gm. per 100 ml. In boys of corresponding ages there was an increase to about 15 Gm. In both sexes these values were attained at about 20 years of age, and remained characteristic of the third decade of life. They were essentially the lowest and the highest shown respectively by the female and the male subjects of any age group. Hemoglobin values in men between 20 and 60 years of age were typically 14.5 to 15 Gm. per 100 ml., the higher values tending to occur among the younger men. After the fifth decade there were progressive and marked decreases to an average of 12.4 in men between 80 and 90 years of age. In women from 20 years of age onward the average hemoglobin values remained near 13 Gm. per 100 ml.

Total Haemoglobin, Blood Volume and Haemoglobin Concentration at Rest and Circulatory Adaptation During Exercise in Relation to Some Anthropometric Data in Old Men Compared with Young Men1

“…Relation to age. A slight but significant decrease of the haemoglobin concentration with rising age has sometimes been observed in large population studies of males (8), whereas others have shown unchanged values (5, 12). The different findings seem to be explained by the selection of the materials and by the observation that poor diet was the main contributory factor in low values of haemoglobin concentration in old males ( 12).…”

Relationship Between Haemoglobin and Serum Testosterone in Normal Children and Adolescents and in Boys With Delayed Puberty

“…The haemoglobin concentration remains nearly constant in the female sex from childhood through senescence, while that of boys begins to exceed female levels at the onset of puberty (4). The discrepancy between the haemoglobin levels of boys and girls becomes apparent after 13 to 14 years of age, reaches a maximum in the twenties and declines gradually towards the seventies (4). This pattern suggests the use of age-and sex-matched reference groups in the diagnosis of anaemia.…”

The Effect of Iron Supplementation on the Physical Work Capacity in the Elderly

“…On the other hand the dietary iron requirement of the Lower values for haemoglobin concentration (Hb) elderly may be lower than that of younger perhave been shown in elderly men compared with sons, owing to a release of iron caused by muscle young and middle-aged men by several workers involution and reduction of the blood volume (13). (15,16,18). Josephsson and Dahlberg (18), like…”