Other names: Mean RBC Iron, MEAN CORP. HGB
Optimal Result:
26.6 - 33 pg,
26.6 - 33 pg/cell,
or
1.65 - 2.05 fmol.
MCH measures the average amount of hemoglobin in a single red blood cell (RBC). It provides insights into how effectively oxygen is transported throughout the body and is a key metric in the Complete Blood Count (CBC) test.
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) is calculated by dividing the total hemoglobin (Hgb) level by the red blood cell (RBC) count.
Formula:
MCH = Hemoglobin (Hgb) ÷ Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)
The result is expressed in picograms (pg) per cell, representing the average hemoglobin content in a single red blood cell.
If your hemoglobin level is 15 g/dL and your RBC count is 5 million/µL, the MCH is calculated as:
15 ÷ 5 = 30 pg per cell
This value falls within the normal range of 27–33 pg per cell.
Low MCH values indicate insufficient hemoglobin content in RBCs and may point to:
High MCH values suggest excessive hemoglobin per RBC, commonly caused by:
MCH works alongside other RBC indices for a comprehensive analysis of red blood cell health:
MCH is crucial in diagnosing and classifying anemia types:
| MCH Level | Clinical Significance |
|---|---|
| <27 pg | Iron deficiency, chronic disease, thalassemia |
| 27–33 pg | Normal range |
| >33 pg | B12/folate deficiency, liver disease, alcoholism, or bone marrow disorders |
Routine CBC testing, including MCH evaluation, helps identify nutrient deficiencies, anemia, and other blood-related conditions early. Abnormal MCH results should be reviewed with a healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
References:
- Cleveland Clinic. Complete blood count: Test details.
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Blood tests.
- Huang P, Liu C, Li B, et al. Preoperative mean corpuscular hemoglobin affecting long-term outcomes of hepatectomized patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Clin Oncol. 2016;4(2):229-236. doi:10.3892/mco.2015.705
- Cleveland Clinic. Hemoglobin test.
- MedlinePlus. Hemoglobin test.
- Cleveland Clinic. High hemoglobin count.
- University of Rochester Medical Center. Overview of blood and blood components.
- Complete blood count (CBC). (2018). labtestsonline.org/tests/complete-blood-count-cbc
- Folate-deficiency anemia. (n.d.) hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/hematology_and_blood_disorders/anemia_of_folate_deficiency_85,P00089
- Iron-deficiency anemia. (n.d.). hematology.org/Patients/Anemia/Iron-Deficiency.aspx
- Pernicious anemia. (n.d.). nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/pernicious-anemia
- Sarma PR. (1990). Chapter 152: Red cell indices. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK260/
- Thalassemia. (2015). rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/7756/thalassemia
- Your guide to anemia. (2011). nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/blood/anemia-yg.pdf
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What is anemia?
- MedlinePlus. Hypochromia
- Auerbach M. Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults (beyond the basics) In: UpTpDate. Wolters Kluwer; 2022.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Iron-deficiency anemia
- Nagao T, Hirokawa M. Diagnosis and treatment of macrocytic anemias in adults. J Gen Fam Med. 2017;18(5):200-204. doi:10.1002/jgf2.31
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12
- MedlinePlus. Folate-deficiency anemia
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Vitamin B12–deficiency anemia
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Anemia treatment and management
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) levels above the normal range (greater than 33 picograms (pg) per cell) are often associated with macrocytic anemia, a condition caused by larger-than-normal red blood cells containing excessive hemoglobin. This is typically due to deficiencies in folate (vitamin B9) or vitamin B12, both essential for red blood cell production and healthy function.
Folate-Deficiency Anemia
Folate is critical for red blood cell production. Deficiency may occur due to:
Vitamin B12–Deficiency Anemia
Vitamin B12 is vital for healthy red blood cell formation, as well as brain and nerve function. Deficiency may result from:
Other Causes of High MCH
Serious Health Conditions
High MCH levels may also indicate:
Symptoms of high MCH often overlap with those of anemia caused by folate or B12 deficiencies:
Additional Symptoms by Cause:
An MCH level above 33 pg per cell can be linked to several conditions, including:
Treatment for high MCH depends on the underlying cause:
Folate or Vitamin B12 Deficiency:
Alcohol-related Deficiency:
Medications:
Underlying Conditions:
High MCH levels can interfere with oxygen transport and heart function, making early diagnosis critical. Untreated macrocytic anemia or related conditions can lead to severe complications, including blood clots, neurological damage, and organ dysfunction.
Consult your healthcare provider for appropriate testing, including a CBC, nutritional assessments, and other diagnostic panels, to determine the cause of high MCH and develop a personalized treatment plan.
By addressing both the root causes and symptoms of high MCH, you can restore red blood cell health and improve overall well-being.
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
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Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) levels below 27 picograms (pg) are commonly linked to conditions like blood loss, iron deficiency, and microcytic anemia. Microcytic anemia is a condition where red blood cells are abnormally small and carry less hemoglobin, reducing the body's ability to transport oxygen effectively.
Low MCH levels can be caused by a variety of underlying health issues, including:
Low MCH levels, especially due to iron-deficiency anemia, may present with or without symptoms. Common symptoms include:
If you experience these symptoms, a blood test is essential to confirm the cause.
1. Dietary Adjustments and Supplements:
For low MCH caused by iron deficiency:
2. Treat Underlying Causes:
3. Further Testing:
If your CBC results show abnormal MCH levels, additional tests may be required, such as:
While abnormal MCH levels don’t always indicate severe health problems, they can signal underlying conditions like anemia, thyroid disease, or nutritional deficiencies that require treatment. Early detection is essential to prevent complications and maintain overall well-being.
Consult your healthcare provider for a comprehensive evaluation and personalized treatment plan if your MCH levels fall outside the normal range.
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Our database covers over 10,000 biomarkers with clear, simple explanations—so you can finally understand your results and what to do next.
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Enter Your Lab Reports — Always Free
If you'd like to handle inputting your health data into your account, you can do so with our easy-to-use data entry forms. Our user-friendly form is designed to guide you through the quick and easy submission process, making it simple to keep track of your health metrics. This is available to both Complete plan and Unlimited plan members.
Our user-friendly form guides you through a quick, simple submission process, making it easy to enter your health metrics.
Add your results anytime with our easy entry form. It's quick, guided, and helps you stay organized — free for all members.
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View your lab data through easy-to-read graphs and tables. Quickly spot patterns, track changes, and compare results across different dates — all without digging through multiple reports. You can also select and compare graphs of specific biomarkers side-by-side to better understand how they relate and change over time.
See your lab reports in clear graphs and tables. Spot patterns, track changes, and compare results over time — all in one place.
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Export Your Complete Lab History
After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file. Choose from PDF, Excel, or CSV formats to easily review, share, or get a second opinion—no more juggling multiple reports.
After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file.
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Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest. Complete plan members receive one report entered for free, then $15 per report after that. Unlimited plan members receive ten report entries for free, then $15 per report after that.
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest.
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Whether you're working with a doctor, nutritionist, caregiver, or wellness coach, you can securely share your complete lab history by sending an invite link to anyone you trust. You have full control over who sees your information and for how long, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind at every step.
Share your full lab history with your doctor, nutritionist, or coach using a secure invite link.
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Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
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Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you're on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
The Complete Plan ($15/month) is perfect for individuals who want ongoing access to their health data. It includes unlimited lab imports, visual tracking, custom ranges, result explanations, full account exports, and secure sharing — all with a simple monthly subscription. You can cancel anytime and restart your plan whenever you're ready — your data will still be there waiting for you. You can also upgrade to the Unlimited Plan at any time, with the cost prorated based on what you've already paid.
The Unlimited Plan ($250 one-time) is also designed for individuals but offers lifetime access with no ongoing subscription. You'll get all the same features as the Complete Plan, plus a larger initial data entry allowance (10 reports), making it a great choice if you prefer a one-time payment and long-term use without monthly fees.
In short:
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our Data Entry Service is for when you don't want to manually type in your lab results yourself. You simply upload your report (PDF, image, or screenshot), and our trained team enters the information into your Healthmatters account for you — accurately and neatly organized, ready to view in graphs, tables, and timelines.
The $15 per report covers the time and care it takes for a real person to review your file, make sure each result is entered correctly, and double-check for accuracy. This ensures your health data is precise and easy to work with — without you having to spend the time doing it yourself.
Prefer to do it yourself? You can always use our free self-entry tool to add results manually — it just takes a bit more time and attention.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
All professional accounts allow you to import and onboard an unlimited number of clients and their lab results. The distinction between professional plans lies solely in the data entry service.
The Pro Monthly Plus plan is priced at $75 per month and includes a data entry service for five reports each month. Additional reports can be self-entered at no extra cost or, if preferred, you can use our data entry service for an additional fee of $15 per report.
The Pro Monthly plan is priced at $45 per month and does not include a data entry service. Self-entry is free for an unlimited number of reports, and you can opt for the data entry service at a fee of $15 per report.
You also have the option to upgrade to higher monthly or to annual plans, which come with substantial discounts. All upgrades can be done directly from your account.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download your information anytime. We offer two easy ways to export your lab data:
This makes it simple to save, back up, or share your health data whenever you need.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
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