Haemoglobin A1 in Addicts

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Abstract
To the editor: A tendency for erythrocytosis among heroin users has been reported (1, 2). Among the factors suggested as contributing to this effect are intermittent respiratory depression with hypoxemia, altered physiology of the brain, emotional stress, and, repeated foreign body embolization of the lung. Recently we have reported increased haemoglobin A1 levels in heroin addicts (3). Because a positive correlation has been found between haemoglobin levels and both erythrocyte (4) and reticulocyte counts (5), we wondered whether a similar correlation would also exist in addicts. We measured the erythrocyte and reticulocyte counts, and total haemoglobin and haemoglobin A1 levels