Hematocrit (HCT)

Causes of Low HCT & HGB

Hematocrit and hemoglobin, referred to as HCT and HGB, are components of red blood cells. The Mayo Clinic defines hematocrit as the number of red blood cells in a specified amount of blood. The Mayo Clinic defines hemoglobin as a protein molecule...

What Are the Causes of a Very Low Complete Blood Count?

A complete blood count, or CBC, includes the white blood cell count, red blood cell count, hematocrit, hemoglobin and platelet count. A CBC is a common blood test to diagnose and monitor a variety of medical conditions. There are many diseases and...

The Effects of Anemia on the Cardiovascular System

There are numerous effects of anemia on the cardiovascular system. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, iron deficiency is one of the principle causes of anemia, although certain medical...

Anemia in Hemodialysis

Kidney failure is characterized by a complete loss of kidney function. Hemodialysis is the most common treatment method for permanent kidney failure. During hemodialysis, a machine is used to filter wastes, extra fluid and salts from your blood....

3 Ways to Diagnose Pregnancy-Related Anemia

Doctors define anemia as having a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells or as when the red blood cells present can't carry iron or oxygen efficiently throughout the body. Many women experience some anemia during their pregnancies because...

Altitude Training & Blood Density

The decreased atmospheric pressure at high altitudes reduces the oxygen pressure gradient between your lungs and your blood, making it difficult to absorb enough oxygen to support cellular aerobic respiration. Under these conditions, your tissues...

The Diurnal Changes of Iron in Humans

Iron is an essential mineral that humans require on a daily basis to help synthesize proteins, enzymes and red blood cells, regulate cell growth, and assist with oxygen transport to tissues in the body. Diurnal changes of iron levels in humans are...

How to Boost Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is an important part of your blood that helps deliver iron and oxygen to healthy tissues. It's made up of four protein molecules called globulin chains. Two are alpha globulin, and two are beta globulin chains. The normal hemoglobin...

Effective Tests for Iron Deficiency

Iron is an important mineral needed by the human body to carry oxygen as part of hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the muscle. It is essential for proper immune function, temperature regulation, energy metabolism and cognitive development....

Iron Deficiency in Males

Iron is a mineral essential to your health. It is prevalent in your blood and helps carry oxygen throughout your body to produce and maintain healthy cell development. It is important for everyone to consume iron, whether it is from nutritional...

About Pregnancy Complications

Even the healthiest woman is susceptible to complications during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time when the woman's body undergoes tremendous changes in preparation for the 40-week long maturation of fetus and its subsequent delivery. Being aware of...

Define Anemic

Strictly speaking, the term “anemia” means “without blood.” In reality, if you are anemic you still have enough blood in your arteries and veins to sustain life, but you either have an insufficient number of red blood cells...

Warning Signs of Anemia

Anemia is caused by diminished red blood cell production, loss of blood cells from extensive bleeding or destruction of blood cells within the body. The most common types of anemia are known as "deficiency anemias." They occur whenever there is a...

What Does Low Ferritin Mean?

Ferritin is a protein in your cells that stores and releases iron. Although ferritin plays an important function within your cells, measuring your ferritin levels is a good way to see how much iron your body holds. Low ferritin levels indicate low...

Exercise With Oxygen Training & Vibration

An understanding of exercise physiology can be useful for athletes in adapting their training regiments to maximize muscle function during competition. Changes in muscle physiology and red blood cell volume occur in a predictable manner in...

Does Exercise Increase Red Blood Cells?

Aerobic exercise can alter the number of red blood cells in several ways. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide through the bloodstream. In general, endurance training increases the number of red blood cells. However, in some cases,...

How to Read the Results of a CBC Blood Test

A complete blood count, also known as a CBC, is a common blood test. The test measures the number of white cells and the number of red cells in a measure of blood. The test also measures the amount of hemoglobin in the red cells, the ratio of red...

How to Treat Anemia With Diet

Anemia is characterized by a low level of hemoglobin or hematocrit in the blood, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). This means the blood doesn't have enough red cells, or the ones it has are not able to carry and...

Signs of Anemia

The most common types of anemia result from a nutritional deficiency that prevents the body from building healthy red blood cells. The signs and symptoms of anemia usually come on gradually and begin with feeling overtired and listless. Generally,...

Normal Range for Iron in Blood

Approximately two-thirds of the total iron in our bodies can be found in the oxygen-carrying protein of red blood cells known as hemoglobin, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Failure to consume enough...

How to Prevent Iron Deficiency & Anemia

In medical terminology, anemia literally means "no blood." However in real life, this would mean death. In actual situations, anemia means that you have a reduced amount of red blood cells. This can be diagnosed by looking at your hemoglobin and...

What Is a Normal Iron Level in the Blood?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, iron is a mineral that your body needs for many cellular functions. Lack of sufficient iron is known as anemia, and iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional...

Diagnostics for Anemia

Adult men have the diagnosis of anemia if their hemoglobin level is below 13.5g/dL, and women are anemic if their level is below 12g/dL, according to Charles Linker, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, in "Current...

What Is a Normal Iron Level in a Toddler?

Your toddler's blood carries about 70 percent of the iron in her body, according to Dr. Anil Pradhan, a physician at Pediatric Associates of Bradford in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Your child absorbs ingested iron through the small intestines. Both...

B12 Deficient & Anemic

Vitamin B12 belongs to a group of water-soluble vitamins called B complex. Vitamin B12 plays a role in proper red blood cell production, nervous system health and DNA synthesis, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. A deficiency of...

Acceptable Range for the Iron Count in Blood

If you are feeling rundown, having difficulty concentrating and seem to be getting sick more often than usual, you may be iron deficient. Iron is an essential mineral necessary for the transportation of oxygen throughout your body. Iron is also...