Low hematocrit
A haematocrit that is too low is when the value is less than 37% in women and 42% in men. This may be due to the patient having drunk too much or having received a fluid replacement (e.g. a NaCl solution) for a long time. Since an increased blood volume is then produced without the same amount of erythrocytes being produced at the same time, the result is a lowered hematocrit.
This need not have any pathological consequences, but it may be that a too low hematocrit indicates anemia. This has the positive side effect that the blood is less viscous, i.e. the viscosity is lowered, but at the same time the tissue is less well supplied with blood and thus with oxygen. Patients with a low hematocrit value often suffer from lips, fingers and toes that turn blue quickly and also become cold very quickly.
A physiological low hematocrit value is particularly common in endurance athletes. This means that the thin blood is less of a burden on the blood vessels and the heart, which in turn has a positive effect on health.
