Background: We investigated whether hypercholesterolemia influenced the values of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
Methods: A total of 463 nonanemic elderly persons were evaluated regarding red cell indices, ESR, and ESR-related parameters, such as fibrinogen, albumin, and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Results: There were no significant differences in MCV between elderly men with and without hypercholesterolemia (>/=240 mg/dl) nor between the subjects with a marked increase of serum cholesterol concentrations (>/=260 mg/dl) and with severely lowered cholesterol concentrations (<155 mg/dl). ESR in elderly men with hypercholesterolemia averaged 12.3+/-6.8 mm/h, which were significantly higher than in those without hypercholesterolemia (6.0+/-4.7 mm/h, p<0.01). ESR averaged threefold higher in the elderly men with serum cholesterol concentration >/=260 mg/dl versus those with serum cholesterol concentrations <155 mg/dl, although no significant differences were observed in fibrinogen, albumin, and CRP values between the two groups. Serum cholesterol concentrations were higher in elderly men with ESR>/=15.0 mm/h (248.9+/-43.5 mg/dl), compared to those with ESR<2.0 mm/h (199.5+/-31.7 mg/dl, p<0.01). Serum cholesterol concentrations showed no associations with red cell indices but correlated significantly with ESR in elderly men (r=0.24, p<0.01) and postmenopausal women (r=0.21, p<0.01).
Conclusion: Hypercholesterolemia does not appear to influence MCV but significantly accelerates ESR, especially in elderly men.