What does it mean if your MCV is high?

What does it mean if your MCV is high?

What does it mean if your MCV is high?

High MCV means that red blood cells are too large and indicates macrocytic anemia. This condition can be caused by several factors including low folate or vitamin B12 levels or chemotherapy.

What is the normal range for MCV?

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) measures the average red blood cell volume, meaning the actual size of the cells themselves. A normal range for MCV is between 80 and 96 femtoliters per cell.

What does the MCV tell you?

An MCV blood test measures the average size of your red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes. Red blood cells move oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body. Your cells need oxygen to grow, reproduce, and stay healthy.

What does it mean if your MCV is low?

Low MCV. An MCV below normal means that your red blood cells are smaller than normal (microcytic). Microcytosis is usually a result of the inability to form hemoglobin, which is a protein that is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood [1, 3].

Is MCV 105 high?

An MCV test measures the size and volume of red blood cells. A normal MCV range is roughly 80–100 fl . If someone’s MCV level is below 80 fl, they will likely develop or have microcytic anemia. Alternatively, if their MCV levels are greater than 100 fl, they could experience macrocytic anemia.

How is low MCV treated?

Treatment for microcytic anemia focuses on treating the underlying cause of the condition. Your doctor may recommend that you take iron and vitamin C supplements. The iron will help treat the anemia while the vitamin C will help increase your body’s ability to absorb the iron.

What medications cause high MCV?

Which drugs cause macrocytosis?

  • Folate antagonists (eg, methotrexate )
  • Purine antagonists (eg, 6-mercaptopurine [6-MP])
  • Pyrimidine antagonists (eg, cytosine arabinoside [ara-C])
  • Alkylating agents (eg, cyclophosphamide)
  • Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (eg, sunitinib, and imatinib)
  • Zidovudine (AZT)
  • Trimethoprim.