DEAR DR. ROACH: My brother has low blood platelets and anemia. He will be 73 this year and has had three back surgeries. What causes low blood platelets? Can anything be done to raise platelet count?

You may need an MPV test if you show symptoms that suggest an issue with your platelet size or number. An MPV test involves drawing a blood sample from a vein and typically takes less than five ...

Quiz: Which blood tests matter most for aging adults? Most people know they should get blood work done. Fewer know what each ...

Deb Hipp is a freelance health and medical writer and editor who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She is a former investigative reporter with more than 25 years of experience as a journalist and writer ...

The most common etiology of pseudothrombocytopenia is platelet clumping induced by EDTA, which is the anticoagulant present in the purple tube in which blood is collected for a CBC. This clumping is ...