SEE WHY YOUR RED BLOOD CELL IS THE WAY IT IS

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia American english spelling hematocrit), also known as packed cell volume (PCV) or erythrocyte volume fraction (EVF), is the volume percentage (%) of red blood cells in blood. It is normally about 45% for men and 40% for women.[1] It is considered an integral part of a person's complete blood count results, along with hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, and platelet count. Elevated In cases of dengue fever, a high hematocrit is a danger sign of an increased risk of dengue shock syndrome. Polycythemia vera (PV), a myeloproliferative disorder in which the bone marrow produces excessive numbers of red cells, is associated with elevated hematocrit. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other pulmonary conditions associated with hypoxia may elicit an increased production of red blood cells. This increase is mediated by the increased levels of erythropoietin by the kidneys in response to hypoxia. Professional athletes' hematocrit levels are measured as part of tests for blood doping or erythropoietin (EPO) use; the level of hematocrit in a blood sample is compared with the long-term level for that athlete (to allow for individual variations in hematocrit level), and against an absolute permitted maximum (which is based on maximum expected levels within the population, and the hematocrit level that causes increased risk of blood clots resulting in strokes or heart attacks). Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use can also increase the amount of RBCs and, therefore, impact the hematocrit, in particular the compounds boldenone and oxymetholone. If a patient is dehydrated, the hematocrit may be elevated. Capillary leak syndrome also leads to abnormally high hematocrit counts, because of the episodic leakage of plasma out of the circulatory system. Sleep Apnea has been known to cause elevated hematocrit levels. Lowered The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and the red cell distribution width (RDW) can be quite helpful in evaluating a lower-than-normal hematocrit, because it can help the clinician determine whether blood loss is chronic or acute, although acute blood loss typically does not manifest as a change in hematocrit, since hematocrit is simply a measure of how much of the blood volume is made up of red blood cells. The MCV is the size of the red cells and the RDW is a relative measure of the variation in size of the red cell population. A low hematocrit with a low MCV with a high RDW suggests a chronic iron-deficient anemia resulting in abnormal hemoglobin synthesis during erythropoiesis. One unit of packed red blood cells will elevate the hematocrit by about 3%. Groups of individuals at risk for developing anemia include:     infants without adequate iron intake     children going through a rapid growth spurt, during which the iron available cannot keep up with the demands for a growing red cell mass     women in childbearing years with a greater need for iron because of blood loss during menstruation     pregnant women, in whom the growing fetus creates a high demand for iron     patients with chronic kidney disease whose kidneys no longer secrete sufficient levels of the hormone erythropoietin that promotes RBC proliferation. Erythropoietin prevents the death of cells in the erythrocyte cell line in the bone marrow. Therefore, erythropoietin allows those cells to continue to mature, exit the bone marrow and become RBCs.[6]