red blood cell count

Hemoglobin, the iron containing component of red cells which carries oxygen, is also measured in a complete blood count. The normal hemoglobin value for males is 13-18 g/dl. Normal for females is 12-16 g/dl.

A high red blood cell count means the blood contains too many red blood cells. High values can be caused by a lack of oxygen (which can occur from living at high altitude), smoking, exposure to carbon monoxide, long-term lung disease, kidney disease, certain forms of heart disease or a rare disorder of the bone marrow (polycythemia vera).