Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin measures the average amount of hemoglobin per red blood cell. MCH tracks closely with MCV and increases slightly with age.
Unit: pg · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Complete Blood Count · topics: Hematology
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) is the average mass of hemoglobin in a single red blood cell, expressed in picograms. It is calculated as hemoglobin (g/dL) divided by the red blood cell count (millions per microliter), then multiplied by 10: MCH = hemoglobin / RBC x 10. MCH is closely correlated with MCV because larger cells generally contain more hemoglobin. It helps distinguish hypochromic from normochromic red cell populations.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (pg) | female (pg) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 26.8–32.3 (30) | 25.2–32.5 (29.7) |
| 30-39 | 26.9–32.7 (30) | 24.7–32.5 (30) |
| 40-49 | 27.1–33.1 (30.5) | 23.9–32.9 (30) |
| 50-59 | 27.4–33.3 (30.4) | 25.2–32.9 (29.9) |
| 60-69 | 27–33.5 (30.8) | 26.6–32.9 (30.2) |
| 70+ | 27.4–33.7 (30.9) | 27.1–33.2 (30.6) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How is MCH calculated?
MCH is hemoglobin divided by the red blood cell count, scaled to picograms: MCH (pg) = hemoglobin (g/dL) / RBC (millions per microliter) x 10. For example, a hemoglobin of 14 g/dL and an RBC count of 4.7 million per microliter give 14 / 4.7 x 10, which is about 29.8 pg. The factor of 10 converts the units so the result is the average hemoglobin mass per cell.
How is MCH different from MCHC?
MCH is the total hemoglobin per cell (mass), while MCHC is hemoglobin concentration per unit volume of red cell. MCH rises with cell size (larger cells carry more hemoglobin), but MCHC can remain stable even as cells grow larger if the hemoglobin content scales proportionally.
Why does MCH track with MCV?
Larger red cells contain more hemoglobin. When MCV rises (as with B12 deficiency), MCH rises in parallel because each cell has more room for hemoglobin. When MCV falls (as with iron deficiency), MCH falls because smaller cells carry less.
Why does MCH increase with age?
Because MCH tracks MCV, it rises for the same reasons MCV does: subclinical B12 and folate insufficiency become more prevalent with age, and erythropoiesis slows, producing cells that tend to be slightly larger.