What is MPV in Blood Test

MPV stands for mean platelet volume, Platelets are small blood cells that are essential for blood clotting, the process that helps you stop bleeding after an injury. An MPV blood test measures the average size of your platelets. The test can help diagnose bleeding disorder and diseases of the bone marrow. Platelet size has been demonstrated to reflect platelet activity and seems to be a useful predictive and prognostic biomarker of cardiovascular events. It is associated with a variety of prothrombotic and proinflammatory diseases Increased MPV was observed in cardiovascular diseases, cerebral stroke, respiratory diseases, chronic renal failure, intestine diseases, rheumatoid diseases, diabetes, and various cancers. Decreased MPV was noted in tuberculosis during disease exacerbation, ulcerative colitis, SLE in adult, and different neoplastic diseases. An MPV blood test is used to help diagnose or monitor a variety of blood-related conditions. A test called a platelet count is often included with an MVP test. A platelet count measures the total number of platelets you have.

Why do I need an MPV blood test?

Your health care provider may have ordered an MPV blood test as part of a Complete blood count

(CBC), which measures many different components of your blood, including platelets. A CBC test is often part of a routine exam. You may also need an MPV test if you have symptoms of a blood disorder. These include:

• Prolonged bleeding after a minor cut or injury
• Nosebleeds
• Small red spots on the skin
• Purplish spots on the skin
• Unexplained bruising

What do the results mean?

MPV results, along with platelet counts and other tests, can provide a more complete picture of the health of your blood. Depending on your platelet count and other blood measurements, an increased MPV result can indicate:

• Thrombocytopenia, a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of platelets
• Myeloproliferative disease, a type of blood cancer
• Preeclampsia, a complication in pregnancy that causes high blood pressure. It usually starts after the 20th week of pregnancy.
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes.

Purpose 

Platelets, also referred to as thrombocytes, are the cells responsible for forming blood clots to slow down blood loss, prevent infection, and promote healing. When an injury occurs, platelets aggregate to plug the wound and send hormone signals through the blood to attract protein clotting factors, which assist in repairing the injury.