Diagnostic and prognostic relevance of red blood cell distribution width for vascular aging and cardiovascular diseases
Evidence suggests association of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). On the contrary, we underline that the sole RDW values cannot represent a valid CVD biomarker. High RDW values are expression of biological effects of a lot of both endogenous and exogenous factors (i.e. age, sex, genetic background, inflammation, hormones, drugs, diet, exercise, haematological analyzers, and ranges of values), modulating the biology and physiology of erythrocytes. Thus, the singular monitoring of RDW cannot be used to predict cardiovascular disorders.