Complete Blood Count (CBC)Reported in %Hematocrit
The share of your blood volume that is red blood cells. It usually rises and falls with hemoglobin.
What it measures
Spin a tube of blood and the red cells pack at the bottom. Hematocrit is that packed fraction, expressed as a percent. Because red cells are most of the cellular part of blood, hematocrit is a direct picture of how much of each drop is oxygen-carrying cells versus plasma.
Why it is on the panel
It confirms the hemoglobin. When the two disagree, the lab sometimes repeats the sample, because clotting, dilution, or a difficult draw can distort one of them.
How to read it
Expect hematocrit to be roughly three times the hemoglobin in conventional units. A hemoglobin of 14 g/dL often sits near a hematocrit of 42%. Large gaps between them are a reason to look at the sample, not just the person.
When it runs higher
Dehydration raises hematocrit by shrinking the plasma around the cells. Altitude, smoking, and conditions that increase red cell production do it by adding cells. A high hematocrit thickens the blood slightly, which is why very high values get attention.
When it runs lower
A low hematocrit tracks anemia and bleeding. Pregnancy lowers it partly because plasma volume expands. Overhydration and some chronic illnesses do the same by diluting or reducing red cells.
How to use this page
This page explains what the measurement is for. It is educational. Your Healiam report includes the reference interval for your age and sex, and a clinician reads that result with your history, medicines, and the rest of the panel. Talk with a clinician before changing diet, supplements, or treatment because of a number on a report.
Hematocrit
Hematocrit is part of the full panel.
No referral or insurance required.
One preventive draw covers this measurement and the rest of the Healiam panel. CLIA-certified results come back in days.