Haemoglobin is a blood test that measures the oxygen-carrying protein in red cells, reported on the full blood count. Practitioners use it to confirm or exclude anaemia, and read it with ferritin, MCV, B12 and folate to work out why it is drifting. Dehydration, smoking, altitude and testosterone therapy can raise it, and pregnancy uses lower thresholds. Practitioners can order it through the Vively practitioner platform.
| Test type | Measured in a blood sample |
|---|---|
| Measurements required | Haemoglobin only |
| Sample and collection | Blood draw at a collection centre |
| Preparation | This test doesn't need fasting on its own. |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 business days |
| Available through | Full Blood Count, part of the Baseline Health Check. Also in: Full Body Health Check. |
| Pricing | Included in the $99 Baseline Health Check |
| Results | Returned in the Vively practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers |
What are the Haemoglobin reference and optimal ranges?
| Typical lab reference | Vively optimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 130 to 185 g/L | No separate optimal range |
| Women (not pregnant) | 120 to 165 g/L | No separate optimal range |
Labs differ, and pregnancy uses lower thresholds, so read the result against the range printed on the client's report (RCPA guidance). There is no Vively optimal range for haemoglobin.
Check a client's Haemoglobin result
Enter the value from your client's lab report to see where it sits against the typical lab range and the Vively optimal range.
A guide only, not a diagnosis. One result is a starting point: read it with symptoms, history and a repeat test. Labs differ, so check the result against the range on your client's report. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
How do you arrange Haemoglobin testing through Vively?
- Get verified. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Choose a panel. Log in to the practitioner platform and pick a panel that includes Haemoglobin, or build your own. It is included in the $99 Baseline Health Check.
- Client collects. Your client collects at a partner collection centre, with their request on their phone or printed.
- Review results. Results come back to you in the practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers, ready for the follow-up consult.
Which Vively panels include Haemoglobin?
Log in to the practitioner platform to view a panel in full, or build and save your own from 100+ tests and panels.
- Baseline Health Check74 markers across 11 lab groups$99
One fasting blood draw.
Full Blood CountUrea, Electrolytes & CreatinineLiver Function TestsCalcium, Phosphate & MagnesiumLipid StudiesDiabetes & Glycaemic StudiesIron StudiesThyroid Function Tests+3 moreLog in to view this panel - Log in to view this panelFull Body Health Check87 markers · Health checksPrice on sign-up
How do you read Haemoglobin without an optimal range?
Haemoglobin has no separate optimal range: it falls late in iron depletion, so read it against iron markers and the client's own trend.
The WHO defines anaemia as haemoglobin below 130 g/L in men, 120 g/L in non-pregnant women and 110 g/L in pregnancy. Iron stores can be depleted for months before haemoglobin moves.
Add the client's previous results. A clear fall between tests deserves attention even when both results sit in range.
At the high end, dehydration, smoking, sleep apnoea and testosterone therapy explain most raised results.
What should Haemoglobin be read with?
- LowLow haemoglobin, low MCV, low ferritin
Iron deficiency anaemia; the client's GP needs to find the source.
- LowLow haemoglobin, high MCV
Possible B12 or folate deficiency, alcohol or a thyroid cause.
- ContextNormal haemoglobin, ferritin below 30 µg/L
Iron deficiency without anaemia, which can still cause fatigue and poor exercise tolerance.
- HighHigh haemoglobin with high albumin and urea
Usually dehydration; repeat well hydrated.
- HighHigh haemoglobin with high testosterone
Often seen with testosterone therapy or anabolic steroid use; needs prescriber review.
What can affect a Haemoglobin result?
- Dehydration and prolonged tourniquet time (raise it)
- Smoking, altitude and untreated sleep apnoea (raise it)
- Testosterone therapy or anabolic steroids (raise it)
- Pregnancy and heavy endurance training, through plasma volume expansion (lower it)
- Recent blood donation or heavy menstrual bleeding (lower it)
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- Haemoglobin below the lab range, and promptly if below about 100 g/L or falling fast
- Iron deficiency anaemia in a man or postmenopausal woman, for investigation of gastrointestinal blood loss
- Anaemia with breathlessness, chest pain, palpitations, black stools or heavy bleeding
- Haemoglobin above the lab range on a well-hydrated repeat with no obvious cause
How should a client prepare for a Haemoglobin test?
Copy or print this to send to your client.
Preparing for your Haemoglobin test
- This test doesn't need fasting on its own.
- If your practitioner has requested the Baseline Health Check, fast for 8 to 12 hours before a morning collection (water is fine).
- Drink water as usual beforehand, as being dehydrated can make haemoglobin read higher.
- Take your pathology request to any of 4,000+ collection centres. Bring it printed or on your phone.
- Keep taking prescribed medicines as usual unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Results usually take 3 to 5 business days and come to your practitioner. Book your results appointment for after that.
How do practitioners use Haemoglobin with clients?
The dietary side of a low haemoglobin (iron-rich foods, vitamin C with plant iron, enough B12 and folate) is your territory. The cause, and any iron, B12 or folate repletion, belong with the client's GP. Retest after about three months, since red cells turn over in roughly 120 days.
Haemoglobin FAQs
Can haemoglobin be normal when iron is low?
Yes. Iron stores fall first and haemoglobin drops only once supply to the marrow runs short, so a client can be iron deficient for months with a normal full blood count. Fatigue, poor sleep, restless legs and reduced exercise tolerance can all appear at this stage, which is why the Baseline pairs haemoglobin with ferritin and transferrin saturation.
How soon should I retest haemoglobin after a change?
About three months. Red cells live roughly 120 days, so haemoglobin responds slowly to dietary change. When a GP starts iron repletion they often check earlier, because a rise within a few weeks confirms the response. Ferritin and MCV move on their own timelines, so retest them together.
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order haemoglobin through Vively?
Yes. Add it to a client panel on the Vively practitioner platform. It is part of Full Blood Count in the $99 Baseline Health Check, and is also in Full Body Health Check. No account yet? Request free access.
What can cause a high haemoglobin?
Dehydration is the commonest explanation, particularly when albumin and urea are also high, so repeat well hydrated. Smoking, altitude, untreated sleep apnoea and testosterone therapy or anabolic steroids also raise it, and a long tourniquet time can too. A high value on a hydrated repeat with no obvious cause should go to the client's GP.
Can pregnancy or endurance training lower haemoglobin without true anaemia?
Yes, both expand plasma volume, which dilutes haemoglobin. Check ferritin and MCV before calling it anaemia, since a low ferritin with a low MCV points to real iron deficiency. The reference range on this page is for women who are not pregnant, so a pregnant client's result needs a different comparison and GP input.
References
- World Health Organization. Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity. 2011.
- Pathology Tests Explained. Full blood count.
- Pasricha SR, Tye-Din J, Muckenthaler MU, Swinkels DW. Iron deficiency. The Lancet. 2021.
- Camaschella C. Iron-deficiency anemia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015. Source