Skip to content
swastya.ai

Your CBC report, line by line, in plain words.

Haemoglobin, MCV, RDW, platelets: what each number on your complete blood count means, and which patterns a doctor looks at next.

7 min read · Updated

A lab technician in a white coat and blue gloves sorts capped blood sample tubes in a rack, with a blood analyser behind her.

The short version

  1. 1

    57% of Indian women and 25% of men are anaemic, and it isn’t only about money: 51% of women in the richest homes are too.1,2

  2. 2

    The “normal” range on a report isn’t WHO’s anaemia line. WHO counts haemoglobin under 12.0 g/dL in women and 13.0 in men as anaemia.3,19

  3. 3

    Low haemoglobin isn’t always iron. Small red cells can be thalassaemia trait, large ones B12. Find the cause before taking tablets.16,17,20

Your number

Where does your haemoglobin sit?

WHO’s lines differ for women and men. Slide to the Hb on your report.

11.4g/dL

Mild anaemia

11.0–11.9 g/dL. Some reports print this inside the normal range, but WHO counts it as anaemia.

Slide to your own number.

12.6g/dL

Mild anaemia

11.0–12.9 g/dL. Some reports print this inside the normal range, but WHO counts it as anaemia.

Slide to your own number. WHO 2024 cut-offs, ages 15–65, not pregnant. In pregnancy the line is 11.0 (10.5 in the second trimester).3

Your report

Every line on a CBC, in plain words

Haemoglobin (Hb)
The oxygen-carrying protein in red cells: the main number for anaemia. Lab ranges vary; an Indian study put healthy women at 9.9–14.3 g/dL.6,19
RBC count
How many red cells you have: about 4.2–5.7 million per µL in men and 3.8–5.1 in women, by one US range.8
PCV or haematocrit (HCT)
The share of your blood made up of red cells. It falls with anaemia and rises with dehydration or smoking.7
MCV
The average size of your red cells, about 80–100 fL. Small cells point to iron deficiency or thalassaemia trait; large ones to B12 or folate.5,9,14
MCH and MCHC
How much haemoglobin each red cell carries. They run low in iron deficiency.9,16
RDW
How much your red cells vary in size. Often high in iron deficiency, but not a diagnosis on its own.13,16,18
TLC or WBC
White cells, which fight infection: about 4,500–11,000 per µL. Infection, inflammation, medicines, smoking and stress can move it.10
DLC (differential)
The mix of white cell types: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils.11
Platelets
Cells that help blood clot: 1.5–4.0 lakh per µL by US ranges. Healthy Indians in one study started at 1.3 lakh.12,19

Reference ranges cover the middle 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people sit just outside them. Use the range printed on your own report.19

India

Anaemia is everywhere, even in well-off homes

57%
of women aged 15–49 are anaemic, up from 53% in 2015–16.1
25%
of men aged 15–49 are anaemic too.1
67%
of children under five are anaemic.1

NFHS-5, 2019–21. Thalassaemia trait matters here too: 2.78% of people screened in six Indian cities carried it, and up to 9.3% in some communities.1,20

Patterns

What your doctor looks at next

Low Hb, small cells, high RDW
Points to iron deficiency. The usual next test is ferritin.16
Small cells, little or no anaemia, RBC count high-normal
Can be thalassaemia trait. An Hb electrophoresis or HPLC test tells it apart from iron deficiency.16,20
Low Hb, large cells (MCV over 100)
B12 or folate deficiency, alcohol, liver disease or an underactive thyroid. B12 is checked first; see our B12 guide.14,17
Low Hb, normal-sized cells
Long-term illness or inflammation, recent blood loss or kidney disease. Iron studies and a doctor’s review.14,16
Platelets under 1.5 lakh
Low. Bleeding risk rises mainly below 50,000. With a fever, ask about a dengue test.12,28
WBC under 4,500 or over 11,000
Read with the differential: your doctor looks for infection, inflammation or medicines.10

On your plate

Iron-rich Indian foods

SortShow
Food and servingIron per servingPer 100 g
Chicken liver2350 g5 mg9.9 mgone sample
Goat liver2350 g3.3 mg6.6 mg
Methi leaves2350 g raw2.8 mg5.7 mg
Horse gram (kulthi)2330 g dry2.6 mg8.8 mg
Bajra flour2340 g (1–2 rotis)2.6 mg6.4 mg
Chaulai (amaranth) leaves2350 g raw2.3 mg4.6 mg
Poha2350 g2.2 mg4.5 mg
Masoor dal2330 g dry (1 katori cooked)2.1 mg7.1 mg
Kala chana2330 g dry2 mg6.8 mg
Rajma2330 g dry1.8 mg6.1 mg
Ragi flour2340 g1.8 mg4.6 mg
Wheat atta2340 g1.6 mg4.1 mg
Palak2350 g raw1.5 mg3 mg
Dates, dry2320 g1 mg4.8 mg
Halim (garden cress) seeds231 teaspoon (5 g)0.9 mg17 mg
Egg231 egg (50 g)0.9 mg1.8 mg
Jaggery (gur)2310 g0.5 mg4.6 mg
Cow’s milk231 glass (200 ml)0.3 mg0.1 mg
ICMR-NIN’s food tables (IFCT 2017), raw weights; serving sizes are ours. Iron from meat, fish and poultry is absorbed far better than iron from plants.22,23

Absorption

Get more out of the iron you eat

  • Chai with your mealChai an hour before or after

    In young Indian women, one cup of tea with a rice meal cut iron absorption by 49–59%. ICMR-NIN says to keep tea and coffee an hour away from meals.21,22

  • A plain dal-rice plateThe same plate with lemon, guava, orange or a dhaniya-mirchi chutney

    Vitamin C with the meal raised iron absorption by 270–350% in the same study.21,22

  • Plain grainsFermented or sprouted: idli, dosa, sprouts

    Fermenting and sprouting help the body absorb iron, says ICMR-NIN.22

Don’t start iron tablets on your own for small red cells: it could be thalassaemia trait. Your doctor decides on tablets and the dose.16,20

Platelets

Platelets in dengue season

2.89 lakh
dengue cases were recorded in India in 2023. In western Uttar Pradesh, cases peaked from September to November.26,27
50,000
platelets per µL is roughly where bleeding risk starts to rise.12

Dengue often drops platelets. WHO’s advice: rest, drink plenty of fluids, take paracetamol for pain, and avoid ibuprofen and aspirin, which raise bleeding risk.25,28

Myths

What you might hear

  • They say

    “Low Hb always means I need iron tablets.”

    Actually

    Small red cells can be thalassaemia trait, and anaemia can come from B12 or folate too.14,16,20

  • They say

    “Spinach and jaggery are the best iron sources.”

    Actually

    Palak has 2.95 mg per 100 g, less than methi or chaulai. A bit of jaggery gives about 0.5 mg, plus sugar.22,23

  • They say

    “Papaya-leaf juice cures dengue.”

    Actually

    Nine studies, six from India, found platelets may rise, but there’s not enough evidence that it changes how people do.29

  • They say

    “Low platelets in dengue always need a transfusion.”

    Actually

    In a trial of 372 adults with platelets at 20,000 or below, preventive transfusion didn’t reduce bleeding and caused more side effects.28

  • They say

    “Just outside the printed range means disease.”

    Actually

    Ranges cover the middle 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall outside them.19

See a doctor soon if

  • You’re breathless, your heart races, you feel dizzy when you stand, or your skin, gums or nails are very pale.
  • Your stools are black or bloody, or you vomit blood.
  • You get unexplained bruises, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, tiny red spots on the skin, or bleeding that won’t stop.
  • In dengue, often as the fever settles: severe stomach pain, repeated vomiting, fast breathing, bleeding, restlessness, extreme thirst, or cold, pale skin. Get care immediately.

Pregnant? WHO’s anaemia line is 11.0 g/dL, or 10.5 in the second trimester. Ask about your Hb at every check-up.

In adults, bleeding from the stomach or gut is a common cause of iron-deficiency anaemia, so your doctor may look for it.3,4,12,15,24,25

Questions

Questions people ask

Hemoglobin kam ho to kya khana chahiye? (What should I eat if my haemoglobin is low?)

Dal and chana, rajma, methi or chaulai, bajra or ragi, and eggs or meat if you eat them, with a vitamin C fruit or chutney at the meal. Keep chai and coffee an hour away from meals. But first find out why it’s low (iron, B12 or thalassaemia trait): your doctor decides on tablets and the dose.

What is a normal haemoglobin level?

WHO counts anaemia as below 12.0 g/dL in women, below 13.0 in men, and below 11.0 in pregnancy (10.5 in the second trimester). Lab ranges vary, so read the one on your report too.

Is a platelet count of 1.4 lakh dangerous?

It’s just below the usual 1.5 lakh cut-off, and healthy Indians in one study started at 1.3 lakh. Bleeding risk rises mainly below 50,000. If you have a fever, especially in the monsoon, ask about a dengue test.

What is RDW in a blood test?

It measures how much your red cells vary in size. It’s often high in iron deficiency, but many conditions raise it, so it isn’t a diagnosis on its own.

What do HCT or PCV mean?

The share of your blood made up of red cells. It falls with anaemia and rises with dehydration or smoking.

Why is anaemia so common in India, even in well-off families?

In NFHS-5, 51% of women in the richest fifth of households were still anaemic. Diet, absorption (chai with meals, little vitamin C), blood loss, and inherited traits such as thalassaemia all play a part.

Sources

  1. 1.MoHFW and IIPS. NFHS-5 (2019–21) India fact sheet.
  2. 2.IIPS and ICF. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019–21: India report.
  3. 3.World Health Organization. Guideline on haemoglobin cutoffs to define anaemia, 2024.
  4. 4.World Health Organization: Anaemia fact sheet.
  5. 5.MedlinePlus: Complete blood count (CBC).
  6. 6.MedlinePlus: Hemoglobin.
  7. 7.MedlinePlus: Hematocrit.
  8. 8.MedlinePlus: RBC count.
  9. 9.MedlinePlus: RBC indices.
  10. 10.MedlinePlus: WBC count.
  11. 11.MedlinePlus: Blood differential test.
  12. 12.MedlinePlus: Platelet count.
  13. 13.MedlinePlus: Red blood cell (RBC) indices.
  14. 14.MedlinePlus: MCV (mean corpuscular volume).
  15. 15.MedlinePlus: Platelet tests.
  16. 16.Van Vranken M. Evaluation of microcytosis. Am Fam Physician, 2010.
  17. 17.Kaferle J, Strzoda CE. Evaluation of macrocytosis. Am Fam Physician, 2009.
  18. 18.Salvagno GL et al. Red blood cell distribution width: a simple parameter with multiple clinical applications. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci, 2015.
  19. 19.Sairam S et al. Hematological and biochemical parameters in apparently healthy Indian population: reference intervals. Indian J Clin Biochem, 2014.
  20. 20.Mohanty D et al. Prevalence of β-thalassemia and other haemoglobinopathies in six cities in India. J Community Genet, 2013.
  21. 21.Thankachan P et al. Iron absorption in young Indian women: the influence of tea and ascorbic acid. Am J Clin Nutr, 2008.
  22. 22.ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024.
  23. 23.Longvah T et al. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. ICMR-NIN.
  24. 24.NHS: Iron deficiency anaemia.
  25. 25.World Health Organization: Dengue and severe dengue fact sheet.
  26. 26.National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control: Dengue situation in India.
  27. 27.Sharma P et al. Dengue seroprevalence, secondary infection and seasonal trends in western Uttar Pradesh. J Vector Borne Dis, 2026.
  28. 28.Lye DC et al. Prophylactic platelet transfusion in adults with dengue and thrombocytopenia. Lancet, 2017.
  29. 29.Rajapakse S et al. Carica papaya extract in dengue: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019.

Swastya shares health education, not medical advice. Lab ranges vary by lab, age and condition, so read your numbers with your doctor, and see a doctor promptly for any symptom that worries you.

Read next

Got a report with a flag? Ask Aira.

Send your lab report on WhatsApp. Aira explains every number in plain words, in your language, and Teresa helps you build one habit at a time, for 12 weeks.

Chat with Aira on WhatsAppHow Swastya works