EPO and anemia: Indeed, many conditions limit the accuracy of HbA1c as a reliable marker of average glucose, including untreated iron deficiency (with and without anemia), hemoglobin variants, altered life span or turnover of red blood cells, hemolysis, splenomegaly, red blood cell transfusions, and use of certain drugs (e.g., erythropoietin, dapsone, and iron) [211].