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MCHC blood test

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

In short

A typical adult MCHC result is 32 to 36 g/dL. A high MCHC is uncommon and is often a quirk of the sample rather than the blood itself. When it is real, a few conditions that change red cell shape can cause it. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.

How concentrated the hemoglobin is inside the red blood cells.

MCHC shows how densely hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein, is packed inside the red cells. It changes less than the other red cell results, so a clear shift stands out. Doctors read it with MCV and MCH.

Is my MCHC high or low?

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Typical range

ForRangeUnit
Adults32–36g/dL

Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.

If your MCHC is high

A high MCHC is uncommon and is often a quirk of the sample rather than the blood itself. When it is real, a few conditions that change red cell shape can cause it.

Common reasons

  • Very fatty blood from a recent meal, which can falsely raise it
  • Red cells clumping together in a cold sample
  • Red cells bursting in the tube before testing
  • Less often: hereditary spherocytosis, an inherited condition with round, fragile red cells
  • Less often: the immune system breaking down red cells

If your MCHC is low

A low MCHC usually means the red cells are paler and carry less hemoglobin than usual. Low iron is by far the most common reason.

Common reasons

  • Low iron, often from heavy periods, pregnancy or blood loss
  • Thalassemia trait, a usually harmless inherited difference in hemoglobin
  • Long-term inflammation or illness
  • Less often: slow, hidden bleeding from the stomach or bowel

What can throw it off

Very fatty blood, a cold sample with clumped cells, or cells that burst in the tube can make MCHC read falsely high.

Questions to take to your appointment

  1. 1Could this be a quirk of the sample?
  2. 2Do my MCV and MCH point the same way?
  3. 3Should we repeat it with a fresh sample?

Read together with

Doctors rarely read MCHC alone. These usually sit next to it.

Quick answers

What is the MCHC blood test?

MCHC (Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration): How concentrated the hemoglobin is inside the red blood cells. MCHC shows how densely hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein, is packed inside the red cells. It changes less than the other red cell results, so a clear shift stands out. Doctors read it with MCV and MCH.

What is a normal MCHC level?

For most adults, MCHC is typically 32 to 36 g/dL. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.

What does a high MCHC mean?

A high MCHC is uncommon and is often a quirk of the sample rather than the blood itself. When it is real, a few conditions that change red cell shape can cause it. Common reasons include very fatty blood from a recent meal, which can falsely raise it; red cells clumping together in a cold sample; red cells bursting in the tube before testing; and less often: hereditary spherocytosis, an inherited condition with round, fragile red cells. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.

What does a low MCHC mean?

A low MCHC usually means the red cells are paler and carry less hemoglobin than usual. Low iron is by far the most common reason. Common reasons include low iron, often from heavy periods, pregnancy or blood loss; thalassemia trait, a usually harmless inherited difference in hemoglobin; long-term inflammation or illness; and less often: slow, hidden bleeding from the stomach or bowel.

What can affect my MCHC result?

Very fatty blood, a cold sample with clumped cells, or cells that burst in the tube can make MCHC read falsely high.

What should I ask my doctor about my MCHC?

Questions worth taking to the appointment: Could this be a quirk of the sample? Do my MCV and MCH point the same way? Should we repeat it with a fresh sample?

What this page can’t do

It reads each number on its own.

Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.

It doesn't know you.

Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.

It doesn't remember.

Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.

We also make Vita: Health Coach, an app for those parts. It reads your whole report with your medicines and history in mind, answers follow-up questions in plain words, and keeps your reports in one place — for you and for the people you look after.

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Sources

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