What causes high RDW and low RBC?

High RDW and low RBC can be caused by many reasons.

If your RDW is in between 11.6 % and 14 % and your RBC is in between 4.5 mil/uL and 5.5 mil/uL then you need not worry as these are the normal ranges for RDW and RBC respectively. But if your levels are lesser or greater than the above values, then there may be some problem in your body.

Some examples of conditions that can increase or decrease RDW levels include:

• Crohn's disease
• Chronic liver disease
• Thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder
• An iron or vitamin deficiency
• Heart disease

RDW treatment - Click to read 10 GOLDEN ARTICLES on Anemia

Normal range of RDW : 11.6 - 14 %

Ideal values of RDW depending on age :

Age	Ideal RDW value
<5 years	11.833
5-10 years	12.071
10-15 years	12.314
15-20 years	12.562
20-25 years	12.814
25-30 years	13.072
30-35 years	13.335
35-40 years	13.603
40-45 years	13.876
45-50 years	13.87
50-55 years	13.865
55-60 years	13.86
60-70 years	13.855
70-80 years	13.849
80-90 years	13.843
90-100 years	13.837
>100 years	13.831

*Ideal values are calculated based on our database of patient records

Normal range of RBC : 4.5 - 5.5 mil/uL

Ideal values of RBC depending on age :

Age	Ideal RBC value
<5 years	4.59
5-10 years	4.682
10-15 years	4.776
15-20 years	4.872
20-25 years	4.97
25-30 years	5.07
30-35 years	5.172
35-40 years	5.276
40-45 years	5.382
45-50 years	5.49
50-55 years	5.487
55-60 years	5.485
60-70 years	5.483
70-80 years	5.481
80-90 years	5.479
90-100 years	5.477
>100 years	5.475

High RDW and low RBC can be caused by a lot of reasons. If you take RDW and RBC blood tests and the results are higher than 14 % for RDW and lower than 4.5 mil/uL for RBC, your physician may recommend more tests to figure out the problem. You might also get these tests if your physician thinks you have some other disease.

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How the RDW and RBC Tests Are Done :

If your doctor wants RDW and RBC tests on you, you may need to go through these tests. During the RDW and RBC blood tests, a pathologist will put a needle into your veins and take out a small quantity of blood. A pathologist is a physician in the medical field who thoroughly studies the causes and effects of disease. Within a few hours you will get your RDW and RBC Test reports by your pathologist.

Medical References

• Cleveland Clinic – RDW Blood Test: What It Is, Procedure & Results
• MedlinePlus – RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width)
• NIH – High red blood cell distribution width is closely associated with risk of carotid artery atherosclerosis