What does hematocrit measure, and what should the level be?
• A: Hematocrit measures the percentage of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells. This measurement if performed by a blood test and is dependent upon the number of red blood cells and the size of the red blood cells. Hematocrit blood test is often ordered by your physician if you have signs and symptoms of anemia, diet deficiency, leukemia, or other medical conditions or diseases. According to medical references, the normal lab range for males is 40.7 to 50.3 percent. The normal range for women is 36.1 to 44.3 percent. However, it should be noted that the normal value can have slight variations from lab to lab. Your lab work should provide the normal reference ranges on your results. Low or high hematocrit values can be due to various medical conditions. Low hematocrit levels can be seen in bleeding, anemia, red blood cell destruction, leukemia, and malnutrition. Deficiencies in: iron, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and overhydration. High hematocrit can be seen in congenita
