Biomarkers · Hematology
Red Blood Cell Count
Both low and high values go with higher risk of death. In NHANES 1999–2018 with linked mortality to 2019, each standard deviation above average goes with 17% lower risk of death. Risk rises at both ends: not comparable
Red Blood Cell Count and risk of death
Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher
Risk of death from our NHANES fit, relative to its reference value. The dotted vertical line marks the NHANES median.
Red Blood Cell Count by age and sex
Each bar runs from the 5th to the 95th percentile, the darker part from the 25th to the 75th, and the tick is the median. Not a reference range or a target.
The percentiles as a table
| Sex | Age | 5th | 25th | Median | 75th | 95th | n | Cycle / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 20-39 | 4.13 | 4.52 | 4.85 | 5.17 | 5.59 | 1,457 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| All | 40-59 | 4.11 | 4.47 | 4.77 | 5.05 | 5.51 | 1,584 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| All | 60+ | 3.84 | 4.30 | 4.62 | 4.93 | 5.40 | 1,940 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| All | all | 4.04 | 4.43 | 4.75 | 5.07 | 5.53 | 4,981 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | 20-39 | 4.53 | 4.92 | 5.14 | 5.34 | 5.70 | 698 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | 40-59 | 4.47 | 4.77 | 5.01 | 5.26 | 5.69 | 740 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | 60+ | 3.90 | 4.50 | 4.79 | 5.09 | 5.53 | 981 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Men | all | 4.27 | 4.74 | 5.01 | 5.27 | 5.65 | 2,419 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | 20-39 | 3.96 | 4.31 | 4.55 | 4.77 | 5.14 | 759 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | 40-59 | 4.02 | 4.31 | 4.52 | 4.77 | 5.15 | 844 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | 60+ | 3.79 | 4.23 | 4.50 | 4.79 | 5.17 | 959 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
| Women | all | 3.93 | 4.28 | 4.53 | 4.78 | 5.16 | 2,562 | NHANES 2017-2018 |
What studies found when this marker was changed
They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.
Measured changes in Red Blood Cell Count, study by study
1 effect with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.
| Type | Intervention | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| clinical | Platelet donation by apheresis in blood donors, change in red blood cell count (meta-analysis) | Red blood cell count fell 0.21 x10^6/uL (95% CI -0.29 to -0.13) after plateletpheresis; 4 studies, 243 donors; duration not stated | meta-analysis | Gil-Betacur A, et al. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):19770. |
What else moves this marker
They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.
Diseases and conditions
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ Metabolic syndrome · individuals with vs without MetS | SMD +0.15 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.18) | MetS vs controls · 51 articles, ~170,000 participants (observational studies and RCT baselines) | meta analysis · PMID 38195797 |
Environmental and occupational exposures
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ Alcohol consumption (genetically proxied) · per unit increase in genetically predicted alcoholic drinks per week | -0.27 SD per unit increase in genetically predicted alcoholic drinks per week (95% CI -0.51 to -0.03) | effect of genetically predicted drinks per week on RBC count, SD units · GWAS summary statistics (GSCAN drinks per week; blood-trait GWAS), European ancestry | mendelian randomization · PMID 39236005 |
| ↓ Smoking initiation (genetically proxied) · per unit genetic liability to smoking initiation (113-SNP instrument) | -0.05 SD per unit genetic liability to smoking initiation (113-SNP instrument) (95% CI -0.09 to -0.02) | effect of genetically predicted smoking initiation on RBC count, SD units · GWAS summary statistics (GSCAN smoking/drinking; blood-trait GWAS), European ancestry | mendelian randomization · PMID 39236005 |
Sources
- NHANES curve: our Cox model adjusted for age and sex, NHANES 1999–2018 with linked mortality to 2019.
Map Red Blood Cell Count against another biomarker.
Related markers: Absolute Lymphocyte Count · Absolute Neutrophil Count · Basophil Count · Eosinophil Count · Hematocrit · Hemoglobin Concentration · Immature Reticulocyte Fraction · Lymphocyte Percentage