EPO and polycythemia: During the preceding seven years, bloodletting treatments were performed twice a month, because of severe polycythemia (RBC count: 5.95 million cells/μL; Haemoglobin: 14g/dl; haematocrit level >45%) without increased serum erythropoietin levels (18.8 mIU/ml, n.v. 3.7-31.5 - see Table 1).