Methods and pharmaceutical preparations for elevating blood hemoglobin and oxygen saturation levels with hydroxycitric acid

1. A method of treating a subject who has an unhealthily low level of blood oxygen saturation, comprising:

determining that an initial level of blood oxygen saturation in the subject is unhealthily low; and

administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a formulation comprising HCA,

wherein the HCA is (−)-hydroxycitric acid or a salt thereof, thereby increasing blood oxygen saturation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administered HCA corresponds to 500 mg to 10,000 mg of (−)-hydroxycitric acid.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the administered HCA corresponds to 1,500 mg to 5,000 mg of (−)-hydroxycitric acid.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an adjusted level of blood oxygen saturation in the subject following the administration of the HCA.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising administering to the subject a formulation comprising HCA in an amount based on the difference between the initial level and the adjusted level.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining a second adjusted level of blood oxygen saturation in the subject following administration based on the difference between the initial level and the adjusted level.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HCA is selected from the group consisting of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, a lactone of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, a sodium salt of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, a potassium salt of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, a calcium salt of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, a magnesium salt of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, and a potassium-magnesium salt of (−)-hydroxycitric acid.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the HCA is a potassium-magnesium salt of (−)- hydroxycitric acid.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blood oxygen saturation is arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ).

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the initial level of arterial oxygen saturation is determined to be 90% or less.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blood oxygen saturation is venous oxygen saturation (SvO 2 ).

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the initial level of venous oxygen saturation is determined to be 60% or less.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blood oxygen saturation is peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining comprises pulse oximetry.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determined SpO 2 correlates with a SaO 2 of 90% or less.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blood oxygen saturation is tissue oxygen saturation (StO 2 ).

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject has been diagnosed by a medical professional with one or more conditions selected from the group consisting of: dementia, insulin resistance, reactive hyperglycemia, diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels, mental stress, and physical stress.

18. A kit comprising:

a plurality of doses of a formulation comprising HCA, wherein the HCA is (−)-hydroxycitric acid or a salt thereof; and

instructions directing a subject to ingest the HCA if the subject is determined to have unhealthily low blood oxygen saturation.

19. A method of treating a subject who has an unhealthily low level of blood hemoglobin, comprising:

determining that an initial level of blood hemoglobin in the subject is unhealthily low; and

administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a formulation comprising HCA,

wherein the HCA is (−)-hydroxycitric acid or a salt thereof,

thereby increasing blood hemoglobin.