The authors' reply to a commentary about their article "Red Cell Distribution Width and Absolute Lymphocyte Count Associate with Biomarkers of Inflammation and Subsequent Mortality in Rheumatoid Arthritis" published in 2023 is presented. Topics covered include how red cell distribution width (RDW) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) are likely influenced by many variables, the change in ALC and RDW after start of methotrexate and the need for reproducibility and mechanistic insight.