A hemoglobin test measures the levels of hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in your red blood cells. It carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Your cells need oxygen to grow, reproduce, and make energy for you to function. Your hemoglobin levels provide information about the health of your red blood cells.
A hemoglobin test is a blood test often used to check for anemia, a condition in which your body does not make enough healthy red blood cells. If you have anemia, the cells in your body don't get all the oxygen they need. Hemoglobin levels are usually measured as part of a complete blood count (CBC). A CBC is a group of tests that measure the number and type of cells in your blood.
Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Normal range
- Female · ≤ 14 d
- 13.4–20 g/dL
- Female · 1 mo – 2 mo
- 9.2–11.4 g/dL
- Female · 11 y – 17 y
- 11.9–14.8 g/dL
- Female · 15 d – 28 d
- 10.8–14.6 g/dL
- Female · 2 mo – 5 mo
- 9.9–12.4 g/dL
- Female · 3 y – 5 y
- 11.4–14.3 g/dL
- Female · 6 mo – 3 y
- 10.2–12.7 g/dL
- Female · 6 y – 8 y
- 11.5–14.3 g/dL
- Female · 9 y – 10 y
- 11.8–14.7 g/dL
- Female
- 11.6–16 g/dL (varies by lab) ABIM 12–16 · Mayo 11.6–15 g/dL
- Male · ≤ 14 d
- 13.9–19.1 g/dL
- Male · 1 mo – 2 mo
- 8.9–12.7 g/dL
- Male · 11 y – 14 y
- 12.4–15.7 g/dL
- Male · 15 d – 28 d
- 10–15.3 g/dL
- Male · 15 y – 17 y
- 13.3–16.9 g/dL
- Male · 2 mo – 5 mo
- 9.6–12.4 g/dL
- Male · 2 y – 3 y
- 10.2–12.7 g/dL
- Male · 3 y – 5 y
- 11.4–14.3 g/dL
- Male · 6 mo – 2 y
- 10.1–12.5 g/dL
- Male · 6 y – 8 y
- 11.5–14.3 g/dL
- Male · 9 y – 10 y
- 11.8–14.7 g/dL
- Male
- 13.2–18 g/dL (varies by lab) ABIM 14–18 · Mayo 13.2–16.6 g/dL
Ranges from American Board of Internal Medicine (Laboratory Test Reference Ranges), Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Test Catalog).
All 24 source ranges
What moves it
| Recommendation | When | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron — address deficiency | Low | National Institutes of Health - Office of Dietary Supplements |
What an abnormal result can be associated with
- A high result
- Increased circulating hemoglobin concentration
- A low result
- Decreased hemoglobin concentration
Associations from LOINC2HPO (Human Phenotype Ontology). This is reference information, not a diagnosis — only a clinician can interpret your result in context.
Details
- Sample
- Whole blood · LOINC
- Part of
- CBC panel · CBC W Differential panel, method unspecified · Hemoglobin and Hematocrit panel
- Code
- LOINC 718-7 · g/dL
- Also known as
- Hgb, WB, Haemoglobin, Hb