What Is MCH in a Blood Test?
MCH measures the average amount of hemoglobin inside each red blood cell.
Normal Range
- 27-33 pg per cell
Low MCH Causes
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Chronic blood loss
- Thalassemia
- Chronic disease
High MCH Causes
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency
- Macrocytic anemia
- Hemolytic anemia
MCH vs MCHC
- MCH = total hemoglobin per cell (mass)
- MCHC = hemoglobin concentration relative to cell size
- MCHC is more clinically useful
Source: NLM MedlinePlus, American Association for Clinical Chemistry.
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