Low Hematocrit and angina

Posted by Linda K on July 08, 1999 at 09:41:11
My husband (has had two by-pass surgery ten years apart; last one was in September of 1997 which appeared to go well) was evaluated at Cleveland clinic earlier this year due to increasing angina, and it was determined his heart muscle was not ischemic.  After our return from Cleveland, he continued to have increasingly intense angina and shortness of breath with activity, and extreme fatigue.  Last week, he consulted our family physician who determined his hamatocrit was 27% (long term - apparently significant - bleeding hemorrhoids). He was given 2 units of packed cells, and is now on an iron medication. Since being given the packed cells, he has had no angina pain and no shortness of breath.  Is it possible the angina was related to the low hematocrit?

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on July 08, 1999 at 11:25:04
Dear Linda
A low blood count can definitely cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and in people with coronary artery disease, it can cause angina. It will be important to make sure the low blood count was just from hemorrhoids, and not from bleeding from elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.