Various blood tests can be used to diagnose anemia. The most common are hemoglobin (Hgb) and hematocrit, which help diagnose all types of anemia, including those caused by iron deficiency or chronic illness. Other relevant markers are: Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) Ferritin These help determine if red cells are normal in size, content, and shape, allowing to conclude if the anemia is associated with bone marrow suppression, folic acid deficiency, vitamin B12 or iron deficiency.