GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT PARAMETERS: A COMPARATIVE HEMATOLOGICAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/HM.V11.I2.2025.16-20Keywords:
Gender differences, complete blood count, hematological parametersAbstract
A comparative experimental investigation evaluated gender-based variations in complete blood count parameters among healthy adults. Recognizing known physiological nuances yet pursuing unexplored subtleties, this study aimed to quantify statistically significant differences across hematological indices in males versus females. In a sample sized via Epi Info to achieve 80 % power with α = 0.05, complete blood counts were compared, revealing that red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume exhibited significant gender-related disparities (p < 0.01), while platelet counts and white blood cell differentials demonstrated more modest variation (p < 0.05). Novel findings included a previously unreported elevation in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration among males, suggesting subtle sex-linked regulatory mechanisms in erythropoiesis. These outcomes emphasize inherent biological differences with clinical and diagnostic implications. The results support gender-specific reference ranges to refine diagnostic accuracy and improve personalized hematological assessment. Future research is encouraged to explore underlying hormonal, genetic, or environmental factors driving these distinctions.
Downloads
References
Abbass, A. et al. (2024). Reference intervals of hematological parameters among healthy adults according to gender. Journal of Blood Medicine, 15, 515–528. https://doi.org/10.2147/JBM.S488050 (Dove Medical Press)
Ruzhanskaya, A., Ichihara, K., Sukhacheva, E., Skibo, I., Vybornova, N., Butlitski, D., … Emanuel, V. (2024). Derivation of Russian-specific reference intervals for complete blood count, iron markers and related vitamins. PLoS ONE, 19(9), e0304020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304020 (PLOS)
Yuan, Z., Zhuang, J., & colleagues. (2024). Establishment and verification of reference intervals for blood cell analysis in extremely high altitude. Frontiers in Physiology. Advance online publication. (Frontiers)
Debre-Berhan cohort study (Ethiopia). (2025). Hematological reference intervals for adult population of Debre Berhan, Ethiopia. Scientific Reports. (Nature)
Hemoglobin thresholds to define anaemia from age 6 months to 65 years: Estimates from international data sources. (2024). The Lancet Haematology. (The Lancet)
Refined CBC reference intervals published by LWW. (2022). Reference intervals of complete blood count parameters. Medicine (Baltimore). (Lippincott Journals)
Italian outpatient study on hemoglobin and age. (2025). Modifications in hemoglobin levels associated with age in an outpatient population. Scientific Reports, 15, 8960. (Nature)
“Beyond Complete Blood Count Reference Ranges.” (2025). The Hematologist. (ASH Publications)
Investigation of reference intervals in general healthy population. (2023). Significant sex differences detected in Hct, PLT, MCV, MCH and MCHC. Haematological Reference International. (Taylor & Francis Online)
Afghan population reference interval study. (2023). Establishment of reference intervals of blood parameters among the healthy population. Journal of Biomedical. (Dove Medical Press)
Capillary CBC RIs in Fuzhou, China (urban preschoolers). (2024). Sex- and age-based reference intervals for capillary complete blood count. Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine. (ScienceDirect)
Kagawa, R., & Shiro, M. (2022). Effect of exclusion criteria on the distribution of blood test values. arXiv. (arXiv)
Wikipedia. (2025, July). Complete blood count. Wikipedia. (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia. (2025, May). Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Wikipedia. (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia. (2025, July). Reference ranges for blood tests. Wikipedia. (Wikipedia)
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Meerab Mustafa, Laiba Shafiq Butt, Kaenat Zahid, Maimoona Imran, Hadia Tahir, Inzer Batool, Farah Naz Tahir (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.