Blood count · L/L

Hematocrit

Low accompanies anemia (together with hemoglobin), high often dehydration; interpret within the context of the full blood count.

Ranges we useNORIP (Nordic Reference Interval Project)
RatingRangeWhat it means
Talk to a doctorbelow 0.348 L/L
Good0.348 – 0.5 L/LWithin the reference range.
Talk to a doctor0.5 L/L and above

This marker also has 2 age- or sex-specific range sets in the app — the table shows the general one.

Source: NORIP (Nordic Reference Interval Project) · A multicentre study of reference intervals for haemoglobin, basic blood cell counts and erythrocyte indices in the adult population of the Nordic countries (Nordin G et al.) · 2004 · open

Why it matters

Low accompanies anemia (together with hemoglobin), high often dehydration; interpret within the context of the full blood count.

If it’s low

Low hematocrit accompanies anemia (fewer red blood cells) — like hemoglobin. But it can also be simply the result of overhydration.

If it’s high

High hematocrit means thickened blood — most often dehydration; possibly smoking, altitude or (rarely) polycythemia. Very high increases the risk of clots.

What to do

Read it with hemoglobin (they go hand in hand). Mildly high with dehydration corrects with adequate drinking.

Read together with

Hemoglobin · Red blood cells (RBC) · MCV

Part of the guide: Complete blood count (CBC) →

Articles about this marker

This content is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your results.

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