What is MCV (mean corpuscular volume)?
A test that measures the average red blood cell volume (size). This test is included in Nordic Wellth’s Complete Blood Count (CBC) test.
Why test MCV?
MCV is included in a detailed blood count because abnormal MCV values are seen in a variety of different health conditions.
Health check
Discover factors that for lifestyle diseases in time and do something about them.
Symptoms
Symptoms of anemia include: weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin.
Monitoring
Monitor changes to your blood values as you make lifestyle changes or undergo treatments.
What do the results mean?
What causes high MCV levels?
There are various reasons for a high MCV, which means that your red blood cells are bigger than usual. These include liver diseases, alcoholism, B12/folate deficiency, and increased vitamin C need. This can lead to a type of anemia called macrocytic anemia.
What causes low MCV levels?
There are various reasons for a low MCV, which means that your red blood cells are smaller than usual. The most common reason is iron deficiency anemia. Internal bleeding, lead poisoning, thalassemia, and inflammation can all lead to low MCV. This can lead to a type of anemia called microcytic anemia.
More information
Values that are slightly outside the reference range can be normal. Reference ranges are not perfect and approximately 5% of healthy individuals may have results outside the reference range.
Instructions
No advance preparation is needed for this test.
On the day of the test
Always take your ID with you when going for a test.
Arrive early and sit down quietly for 15 minutes before the test is taken.