What does low platelets and high hemoglobin mean?

Please help... My husband has low blood count.. Hemoglobin 14, RBC 5.59, low WBC 3700, Platelets 157000.....?

• My husband had a complete blood count in March 2012. Hemoglobin is 14. RBC is 5.59. Differential RBC: PCV (Haematocrit) - 44.3% MCV: 79.25% (low) MCH: 25.04% (low) MCHC: 31.60% (low) RDW CV: 14. WBC count: 3700 (low) Differential WBC: Neutrophil - 55% Eosinophill: 06% Basophil: 00% Lymphocyte: 35% Monocyte: 4% Platelets: 157000. RBC Morphology: Mild Anisocytosis, predominantly Normocytic Normochromic. WBC Morphology: Mild Leucopenia. ESR: 02. My husband also had abnormal blood count before in year 2008 and 2009 which he ignored. 2008 Blood count: Hemoglobin :13.8 RBC count: 5.32 RBC Differential: PCV/Haematocrit: 42.9% MCV: 80.6% MCH:25.9% (low) MCHC:32.2% WBC count: 4300. Differential WBC count: Neutrophil: 57% Eosinophil: 05% Basophil: 00% Lymphocyte: 36% Monocyte: 02% Platelet count: 150000 2009 Blood Count as below: Hemoglobin :13.8 RBC count: 5.27. Differential RBC count: Hematocrit: 41.5% MCV: 78.8%(low) MCH: 26.2% (low) MCHC: 33.2% RDW: 13.2% WBC count: 5000 Differential WBC count: Neutrophils: 63% Eosinophils: 03% Basophils: 00% Lymphocyte: 32% Monocyte: 02% Platelets count: 152000 Mean Platelet Volume: 12.7 (high) RBC Morphology: Abnormal, Anisocytosis, Hypochromasia, Microcytosis. ESR: 02. Please help. What does this mean?? My husband is 32 years old, weighs 65 kgs, height 5 feet 10 inches. He doesn't drink or smoke. Not even beer. Mostly eats vegetables and fruit and non veg (fish and chicken) on weekends. His Lipid Porfile is also high. March 2012 Lipid Profile as below. Cholesterol : 240. (high) Triglycerides:217 (high) HDL cholesterol: 50 VLDL cholesterol: 43.40 LDL Cholesterol: 146.60 (high) Cholesterol HDL ratio : 4.80. LDL HDL ratio: 2.93. Triglyceride HDL ratio: 4.34. HDL LDL ratio: 0.34. His 2008 Lipid profile: Cholesterol : 218 (high) HDL: 68 LDL : 114. VLDL: 36. Triglyceride: 214. Ratio of Cholesterol HDL: 3.21. His 2009 report: Cholesterol: 215 (high) HDL: 50 LDL: 129. Rest of his reports are normal. Blood sugar, urea, creatinine, liver function test, color droppler test, carotid droppler test, abdomen USG shows normal spleen. Every thing is normal except his blood count and lipid profile. Please help me understand his blood count report. He has never been on multi vitamins or iron supplement. We are soon visiting doctor, but please help. Thanks.

• Answer:

  RBC stands for Red blood Cell. There is iron (heme) on each red blood cells, in four places. That is what the oxygen molecule attaches to, in the lung, to be transported throughout the body to the organs, etc. Different labs have different reference ranges for each of these tests performed. Therefore, what may be considered normal range..could be slightly different depending on what lab has done the tests. If you look on his lab work sheet...the reference range for each tests is usually in parenthesis. The MCV, MCH, MCHC are known as Indices. 1)The MCV is usually the size of the Red blood cells. 2)The MCH and MCHC is the amount of iron (hemoglobin) content of the red blood cells. 3)Anisocytosis is when the red blood cells are not equal in size. This can be found in deficiency of iron or B12, lack of vitamin A. It can also be found when the bone marrow is unable to make sufficient RBC or abnormalities in the bone marrow which forms irregular size blood cells. 4)Normocytic/normochromic anemia is usually caused by sudden blood loss, prosthetic heart valves, sepsis, long term disease or aplastic anemia. 5) Microcytosis/hypochromic means he has small/pale red blood cells. This is usually a deficiency of iron. Iron is what gives the red blood cells their red color. To me it seems like his body is making a sufficient amount of Red Blood cells, but he lacks iron on them. His red blood cells are small or of different sizes ............................... The White blood cells are low. They mention this, it is known as Leukopenia. There are different kinds of white blood cells: Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils, Lymphocyte, Monocyte. White blood cells are his immune system which fights off anything that is foreign in the body. (like virus, bacteria, etc) ......................................… Platelets are the cells that rush to a site of injury and try to stop the blood from leaving the body. They signal the start of the immune system to protect and repair the damage. They help the blood to clot. Many clotting factors are made by the liver. His platelets are at the lower end of normal. If he has any open wounds, you should place a cloth on them and hold it firmly till the bleeding stops. ......................................… Cholesterol and Triglycerides are both lipids (fats). Cholesterol is inside the body in two different ways: 1 comes from the food we eat 2 the liver makes it Patients who have high cholesterol levels are usually placed on a low cholesterol diet, first. This will give the doctor an idea if this is food related. Then, if the diet doesn't work, he may consider it hereditary and start him on statin drugs to bring it down. The HDL is the protein that carries cholesterol back to the liver. It is considered the good cholesterol. The LDL is the protein that carries cholesterol out to the cells of the body. It is known as the Bad cholesterol, because the large amounts of it can cause a build up of plaque inside the arteries. Triglycerides are known as the stored fats and they are high. I would suggest that your husband be referred to a Hemotologist, if these cells counts stay very low. . To learn more about your lab work, here is a good site to enter any blood testings done: http://www.labtestsonline.org