What causes high RDW SD and low RBC?

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

If your RDW SD is in between 39 fL and 46 fL 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 SD 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 SD levels include:

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

RDW SD treatment - Click to read 10 GOLDEN ARTICLES on Anemia

Normal range of RDW SD : 39 - 46 fL

Ideal values of RDW SD depending on age :

Age	Ideal RDW SD value
<5 years	39.663
5-10 years	40.338
10-15 years	41.024
15-20 years	41.722
20-25 years	42.432
25-30 years	43.154
30-35 years	43.888
35-40 years	44.635
40-45 years	45.394
45-50 years	45.381
50-55 years	45.368
55-60 years	45.355
60-70 years	45.341
70-80 years	45.328
80-90 years	45.315
90-100 years	45.302
>100 years	45.289

*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	4.577
5-10 years	4.655
10-15 years	4.734
15-20 years	4.815
20-25 years	4.897
25-30 years	4.98
30-35 years	5.065
35-40 years	5.151
40-45 years	5.239
45-50 years	5.328
50-55 years	5.419
55-60 years	5.417
60-70 years	5.415
70-80 years	5.413
80-90 years	5.411
90-100 years	5.409
>100 years	5.407

High RDW SD and low RBC can be caused by a lot of reasons. If you take RDW SD and RBC blood tests and the results are higher than 46 fL for RDW SD 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 SD and RBC Tests Are Done :

If your doctor wants RDW SD and RBC tests on you, you may need to go through these tests. During the RDW SD 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 SD and RBC Test reports by your pathologist.

Medical References

• MedlinePlus – RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width)
• Cleveland Clinic – RDW Blood Test: What It Is, Procedure & Results
• NIH – RDW-SD is Superior to RDW-CV in Reflecting Liver Fibrosis Stage in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B