What does it mean if the red blood cell distribution width sd is low?

Nowadays, many units organize their employees to go to the hospital for annual physical examinations every year. Physical examinations are very important for everyone, because some diseases can be discovered in time, and the earlier they are discovered, the easier it is to treat. Many people have found that when drawing blood for tests, the doctor will say that the red blood cell distribution width sd is low. This is a more professional term. So what is the matter with the red blood cell distribution width sd being low?

Red blood cell distribution width - SD, red blood cells are normally distributed by volume, SD is the standard deviation, which refers to "the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of the difference between the volume of each red blood cell and the average volume of red blood cells."

It's a bit difficult to pronounce. In fact, SD is a calculated value that reflects the discrete distribution of red blood cells by volume. It is not as useful as another measure, red cell distribution width CV.

The red blood cell distribution width SD is relatively low, which generally means that the red blood cells are distributed more evenly and concentrated by volume, that is, the red blood cells are about the same size. If the red blood cell count RBC, hematocrit HCT, and hemoglobin HGB are normal, this item has no special clinical significance.

To put it simply, it refers to the consistency of the size and shape of the red blood cells in the sample blood. The larger the width, the more consistent the shape and size of the red blood cells in the sample blood. Exceeding the normal value often indicates various anemias, hematopoietic abnormalities or congenital red blood cell abnormalities. A small distribution width indicates that the shape and size of the sample blood cells are consistent and very neat.

The normal value is between 11.0 and 16.0. A low value means that the red blood cells are more uniform than those of a normal person, which has little clinical significance.

If this is the only abnormal item in your blood test, then congratulations, you are very healthy and there is no need to make a fuss. The red blood cell distribution width SD value reflects the distribution of red blood cell size. We mainly look at the hemoglobin and blood cell count. As long as these are normal, there is no problem. I personally think that you have no need to worry or go to the hospital.

From the above introduction, we can see that the red blood cell distribution width sd is on the low side. Generally speaking, it has no clinical significance and there is no need to worry too much. During the blood test, you only need to look at the hemoglobin and blood cell counts. If you don’t understand some of the questions the doctor asks, you can consult a doctor in time.