Anisocytosis Is Associated With Reduced Bone Marrow Activity Evaluated by Positron Emission Tomography

Anisocytosis or increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk, especially in patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure.1,2 Anisocytosis has been linked with markers of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and iron metabolism.3 However, the mechanism linking RDW with cardiovascular outcomes remains unknown. A second model demonstrated RDW remained negatively correlated (rho = −0.32, p = 0.044) with mean bone marrow SUV despite accounting Model 1 with the addition of biomarkers of inflammation (IL6, high sensitivity C-reactive protein). The limitations of our study include the small sample size, single RDW measurement, no direct analysis of bone marrow function, and possible other confounders (including significant portion of males and heroin users).