Red Blood Cells Distribution Width as Biomarker of Worsening in Atherosclerosis

Red blood cell Distribution Width (RDW) is a parameter of the circulating erythrocytes’ size that it has reported to be associated with Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) [1-7]. The related mechanism of this association is not fully understood. However, RDW is an indicator of inflammation related to early inflammatory biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) [8,9]. Accordingly, systemic chronic inflammation leads to dysfunctional bone marrow with unsuccessful production of red blood cells [10]. As a result, it determines the migration of reticulocytes into the peripheral circulation, followed by an increase in circulating levels of immature Red Blood Cells (RBCs), as well as in higher RDW levels