Adult Down Syndrome Center

🩸A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test that can provide information for monitoring or diagnosing health conditions. Red blood cell count is one of the measures in a CBC. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream.

Having an abnormally high red blood cell count is called polycythemia.
Dehydration is a common cause of polycythemia in adults with Down syndrome. When a person is dehydrated, there is less fluid in the bloodstream. Dehydration does not increase the actual number of red blood cells; however, the percentage of the blood that is red blood cells increases because there is less fluid. Other causes of polycythemia include sleep apnea, congenital heart disease, and other causes of low oxygen levels.

Brian Chicoine, MD, shares more information in the article linked below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/polycythemia/