What Is RBC Count in a Blood Test?

RBC count measures the number of red blood cells per microliter of blood.

Normal Range

  • Men: 4.5–5.9 million/µL
  • Women: 4.1–5.1 million/µL

High RBC

  • Dehydration
  • Chronic lung disease
  • High altitude
  • Polycythemia vera
  • Smoking
  • Testosterone use

Low RBC

  • Anemia (any cause)
  • Blood loss
  • Bone marrow suppression
  • Nutritional deficiency
Source: NLM MedlinePlus, American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

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