Hematocrit vs. Blood Pressure

[BobDigital]

Can anybody tell me if high hematocrit levels and high blood pressure are directly linked?

Context:
My hematocrit levels typically run at the higher end of the acceptable range, but never exceed it. In the past, I have donated blood as frequently as allowed (I believe it's every 56 days) to ensure I keep it under control, but I really dislike doing this because I feel it saps my strength and hurts my mood for a full week before I recover (presumably because I've replenished my blood supply).

That being said, I've been monitoring my blood pressure and it seems to be creeping up lately. I'm curious if this is a consequence of not regularly offloading some red blood cells.

Bonus question: Is the blood pressure number that I should use to gauge my level of concern at rest with no stimulants in my system or the worst case (i.e. caffeinated and/or post-workout)?

Thanks all.

 

[Renew1]

Lowering of Blood Pressure by Increasing Hematocrit with Non–Nitric Oxide–Scavenging Red Blood Cells

Isovolemic exchange transfusion of 40% of the blood volume in awake hamsters was used to replace native red blood cells (RBCs) with RBCs whose hemoglobin (Hb) was oxidized to methemoglobin (MetHb), MetRBCs. The exchange maintained constant blood volume ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

.

 

[BobDigital]

Lowering of Blood Pressure by Increasing Hematocrit with Non–Nitric Oxide–Scavenging Red Blood Cells

Isovolemic exchange transfusion of 40% of the blood volume in awake hamsters was used to replace native red blood cells (RBCs) with RBCs whose hemoglobin (Hb) was oxidized to methemoglobin (MetHb), MetRBCs. The exchange maintained constant blood volume ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

.

I'll readily admit it could be my own ignorance, but this doesn't seem to be applicable. They replaced one kind of RBC with another kind of RBC via transfusion. Wouldn't that mitigate the ability to determine whether a higher/lower RBC count impacted blood pressure since the RBC count remained relatively constant?

Honest question; not biting the hand that feeds.

 

[kisaj]

Correlation not causation. Many people living at altitude have higher HCT and often outside of the "standard" range and have no issues with BP. Higher HCT by itself is not a bad thing nor dangerous, but what sometimes accompanies it are high RBC and this should be watched and limit the amount of iron rich foods consumed. Niacin, naringin, and proper hydration can help here.

 

[Hyde]

I can tell you my RBC, Hemoglobin, and Hematocrit were all high recently (6.15, 18.1, & 52.9 respectively) while well hydrated, with in range platelets (344) and other values in range.

I donated for the first time in 2 years of blasting & cruising since values were finally significantly out of range. I felt noticeably better, and both systolic & diastolic BP dropped 2-3 points consistently. So I did see a correlation, but my blood had gotten too thick.

If you don’t monitor your ferritin levels, I would do so - you might find you need more iron consumption to maintain your donation schedule, or you might also decide that you actually don’t need to donate so routinely. Just pull a CBC & ferritin quarterly and keep an eye on it.

 

[G34RS]

I can tell you my RBC, Hemoglobin, and Hematocrit were all high recently (6.15, 18.1, & 52.9 respectively) while well hydrated, with in range platelets (344) and other values in range.

I donated for the first time in 2 years of blasting & cruising since values were finally significantly out of range. I felt noticeably better, and both systolic & diastolic BP dropped 2-3 points consistently. So I did see a correlation, but my blood had gotten too thick.

If you don’t monitor your ferritin levels, I would do so - you might find you need more iron consumption to maintain your donation schedule, or you might also decide that you actually don’t need to donate so routinely. Just pull a CBC & ferritin quarterly and keep an eye on it.

This. I donated blood fairly regularly for about a year and it tanked my iron levels to the point where my breathing became labored. It takes much longer to restore iron levels than blood volume or RBC. If you’re donating that frequently, it’s very likely you’ll need to take an iron supplement.