Know your blood type! This information is important not only in case of an emergency where one might need a blood transfusion but also if you want to donate blood to help others. Blood type is also a predictor for some conditions that occur during pregnancy and/or if one is susceptible to blood clotting or kidney stones.

As part of the complete blood count, an HCT test measures the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. This test helps screen for, diagnose, and monitor conditions that affect the blood or bone marrow.

Hemoglobin reflects the number of red blood cells active in the blood. Low levels may uncover anemia, vitamin deficiencies, loss of blood (both internal and external), and chronic diseases. The test can also help detect diseases affecting the lungs, liver, kidneys, or cardiovascular system, significant long-term infection, cognitive impairment, and certain types of cancer, and diagnose chronic blood disorders.

MCHC measures the amount of hemoglobin per unit volume. So, this test assesses the hemoglobin content within the volume of the cell, which can uncover iron-deficiency anemia, hypothyroidism, spherocytosis, or RBC agglutination.

MCH is usually done as part of the complete blood count and can help detect various types of anemia (deficiency in iron, B12, or folate), blood loss, cancer, kidney or liver disease, or autoimmunity. MCH measures the average amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells.

MCV's insight into the blood is a unique indicator of overall health. If MCV is either high or low overtime (most likely indicating a chronic vitamin deficiency or blood condition), it can degrade the body's general wellness and thus one's phenotypic age. MCV measures average size of red blood cells: whether they are too big, too small, or just right.

Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) measures the mass of platelets, which is important in determining the cause of thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count) or thrombocytosis (a high platelet count). So, why does MPV matter? When platelets are healthy, there is a dynamic relationship between their size and count.

Abnormal platelet count is a risk marker for heart attack, stroke, and other heart diseases, but this test can also help diagnose autoimmune disease, bone marrow damage (which can be caused by certain cancers, such as leukemia and/or cancer treatments), spleen disorder, and parasites. Platelets, which are made in the bone marrow, are small, colorless blood cells that form clots with the goal of stopping or preventing bleeding.

RBC count can reveal various anemias, vitamin deficiencies, colon, bladder, or kidney issues, chronic diseases that cause bone marrow suppression, autoimmune disorders, blood disorders, polycythemia vera, congenital heart disease, and more.

RDW is the size and volume of the red blood cells. RDW and MCV explore one's overall health, and together, they can detect liver disease and various types of vitamin-deficiency anemias even before symptoms occur. When either or both are abnormal over time, it can lead to a higher risk of disease and increase one's phenotypic age.