Last updated on 16th Oct 2021 - By Dwayne Michaels

How Abnormal MCHC affects heart?

Fast heart rate is a common symptom of abnormal MCHC. You might be wondering how abnormal MCHC affects your body.

Let us first start with the definition of MCHC. The MCHC is the measure of mean hemoglobin concentration or content of hemoglobin per unit volume (weight/volume or g/dL) in red blood cells (RBC).

You might have a MCHC test done as a part of a complete health check. MCHC tells you what percentage of your blood cells are made up of hemoglobin, the protein that helps transport oxygen in the blood.

Low MCHC causes hypochromia, which makes the red blood cells paler. And, high MCHC causes red blood cells to become darker, also known as hyperchromia.

A low MCHC can be interpreted as identifying decreased production of hemoglobin. MCHC can be normal even when hemoglobin production is decreased due to a calculation artifact. MCHC can be elevated in hereditary spherocytosis, sickle cell disease and homozygous haemoglobin C disease, depending upon the hemocytometer.

Causes of abnormal MCHC:

1. Anemia of Chronic Disease

Anemia of chronic disease is anemia that is found in people with certain long-term (chronic) medical conditions that involve inflammation. Anemia is characterized by low levels of circulating red blood cells or hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen.

Anemia of chronic disease is usually a mild or moderate condition. In mild cases, anemia may not be associated with any symptoms or may cause fatigue, paleness of the skin and lightheadedness.

In anemia of inflammation, you may have a normal or sometimes increased amount of iron stored in your body tissues, but a low level of iron in your blood. Inflammation may prevent your body from using stored iron to make enough healthy red blood cells, leading to anemia.

2. Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Anemia is a condition characterized by inadequate red blood cells (erythrocytes) or hemoglobin. When the body lacks sufficient amounts of iron, production of the protein hemoglobin is reduced.

Hemoglobin binds to oxygen, enabling red blood cells to supply oxygenated blood throughout the body. Women of child-bearing age, children, and people with poor diet are most susceptible to the disease.

Most cases of iron-deficiency anemia are mild, but if not treated can cause problems like an irregular heartbeat, pregnancy complications, and delayed growth in infants and children that could affect their cognitive development and their behavior.

Did you know? Not getting enough sleep is linked to Heart attack, Depression, High Blood Pressure, Obesity and Diabetes.

3. Sideroblastic Anemia

Sideroblastic anemia is a form of anemia in which the bone marrow produces ringed sideroblasts rather than healthy red blood cells. The anemia is moderate to severe and dimorphic.

Microscopic viewing of the red blood cells will reveal marked unequal cell size and abnormal cell shape. Basophilic stippling is marked and target cells are common. The mean cell volume is commonly decreased, but it may also be normal or even high.

The RDW is increased with the red blood cell histogram shifted to the left. Leukocytes and platelets are normal. Bone marrow shows erythroid hyperplasia with a maturation arrest.

4. Thalassemia

Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders characterized by decreased hemoglobin production.

Thalassemias are genetic disorders inherited from a person's parents. There are two main types, alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. The severity of alpha and beta thalassemia depends on how many of the four genes for alpha globin or two genes for beta globin are missing.

Diagnosis is typically by blood tests including a complete blood count, special hemoglobin tests, and genetic tests. Diagnosis may occur before birth through prenatal testing.