Haemoglobin concentrations appear to be lower in indigenous Greenlanders than in Danes: assessment of haemoglobin in 234 Greenlanders and in 2804 Danes

Objective: To compare haemoglobin concentrations in Greenlanders and Danes. Methods: Haemoglobin was measured in a population survey in 1993-1994 compr ising 234 indigenous Greenlandic individuals (115 men) aged 19-82 yr and in Copenhagen County 1983-1984 comprising 2804 Caucasian Danes (1444 men) age d 30-60 yr. The Greenlandic participants were residents in the capital Nuuk (n = 70), the town Ilulissat (n = 74), and four settlements in the Uummann aq district (n = 90). The significance of differences was assessed by Stude nt's t-test, and the chi (2)-test. Correlations were assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient (r(s)). Results: Greenlanders: Haemoglobin levels were not correlated with age or c onsumption of traditional foods, and were not significantly different in th e three residential areas. Mean haemoglobin was higher in men, 146 +/-9.6 ( SD) g/L, than in women, 132 +/-9.6 g/L (p <0.0001). Mean haemoglobin in iro n-replete men with serum ferritin > 32 mug/L (n = 104) was 146 +/-9.3 g/L, and in iron-replete women (n = 68) 133 +/- 10.4 g/L (p <0.0001). The 5th pe rcentile for haemoglobin in iron-replete men was 133 g/L (8.3 mmol/L and in women 118 g/L (7.3 mmol/L). The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (i.e . ferritin < 13 mug/L and Hb < 5th percentile for iron-replete men and wome n) was 0% in men, 2.78% in women less than or equal to 50 yr of age and 0%. ) in women > 50 yr of age. Danes: Mean haemoglobin in men was 154 +/- 10.0 g/L and in women 138 +/- 10.4 g/L (p <0.0001). Haemoglobin in iron-replete men (n = 1379) (i.e. serum ferritin > 32 mug/L) was 154 +/- 10.7 g/L, and i n iron-replete women (n = 1003) 140 +/-9.6 g/L (p <0.0001). Mean haemoglobi n was lower in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women (p <0.0001). The 5th percentile for haemoglobin in iron-replete men was 137 g/L (8.5 mmol/L) and in women 124 g/L (7.7 mmol/L). The prevalence of iron deficiency anaem ia (i.e. ferritin < 13 mug/L and women Hb < 5th percentile for iron replete men and women) was 0%, in men, 1.92% in women less than or equal to 50 yr of age and 0% in women >50 yr of age. Conclusion: Haemoglobin concentration s in Greenlanders were significantly lower than in Danes both in men (p <0. 0001) and in women (p <0.0001). A(mean haemoglobin) in men was 8.0 g/L (0.5 mmol/L) and in women 6.2 g/L (0.4 mmol/L). Variations in haemoglobin level s may be due to genetic differences.