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. 2023 Dec 27;13(1):151.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13010151.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width, Erythrocyte Indices, and Elongation Index at Baseline in a Group of Trained Subjects

Gregorio Caimi  1 , Melania Carlisi  1 , Rosalia Lo Presti  2
Affiliations

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width, Erythrocyte Indices, and Elongation Index at Baseline in a Group of Trained Subjects

Gregorio Caimi et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Regular exercise elicits adaptive changes in several organs and physiological processes, including erythrocyte properties.

Methods: In a group of 79 subjects (62 men and 17 women; mean age 31.37 ± 10.19 years) who trained several times a week as they practiced amateur sports, we evaluated the elongation index, markers of erythrocyte deformability, red blood cell distribution width (RDW), indicators of erythrocyte anisocytosis, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and the main erythrocyte indices (MCV, MCH, MCHC) in basal conditions.

Results: In comparison with a group of healthy, but not training, volunteers, the values of the elongation index, and not the RDW, are increased, and this datum is accompanied by an increase in MCV and MCHC, likely related to an increased presence of circulating young erythrocytes in training subjects. We also divided the same group according to the median of the VO2max, observing that the subgroup above the median shows both an increase in the elongation index values and a decrease in MCH and MCHC.

Conclusions: In trained subjects, there is no correlation between the values of the elongation index and the RDW, while the interrelations among the elongation index, RDW, and main erythrocyte indices appear to be of particular interest and of a certain complexity.

Keywords: erythrocyte deformability; erythrocyte indices; red blood cell distribution width; regular exercise; trained subjects.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlations (Pearson’s test) between RDW% and EI at the shear stresses of 6, 12, 30, 60 Pa. RDW = red blood cell distribution width; EI 6 = elongation index at the shear stress of 6 Pascal; EI 12 = elongation index at the shear stress of 12 Pascal; EI 30 = elongation index at the shear stress of 30 Pascal; EI 60 = elongation index at the shear stress of 60 Pascal. Circle: EI 6 Pa; Square:EI 12 Pa; Triangle with lower base: EI 30 Pa; Triangle with upper base: EI 60 Pa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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