Hemoglobin the iron gets recycled. This process also produces one molecule of carbon monoxide for every molecule of heme degraded. Heme degradation is one of the few natural sources of carbon monoxide in the human body, and is responsible for the normal blood levels of carbon monoxide even in people breathing pure air. The other major final product of heme degradation is bilirubin. Increased levels of this chemical are detected in the blood if red blood cells are being destroyed more rapidly than usual. Improperly degraded hemoglobin protein or hemoglobin that has been released from the blood cells too rapidly can
Glycated hemoglobin the degree of control of glucose metabolism in diabetic patients was proposed in 1976 by Anthony Cerami, Ronald Koenig and coworkers. Glycated hemoglobin causes an increase of highly reactive free radicals inside blood cells. Radicals alter blood cell membrane properties. This leads to blood cell aggregation and increased blood viscosity which results in impaired blood flow. Another way glycated Hb causes damage is via inflammation which results in atherosclerotic plaque (atheroma) formation. Free radical build-up promotes the excitation of Fe-Hb through into abnormal ferryl Hb (Fe-Hb). Fe is unstable and reacts with specific amino acids in Hb to regain its