Plasma viscosity in the elderly

Plasma viscosity has been measured by a standardised technique in an unselected series of elderly subjects. Results have been grouped according to the severity of clinical disease and are found to give a good statistical differentiation between most groups, although with a wide overlap. Repeated tests show only a fair correlation with the course of an individual patient's illness. These results are compared with those previously reported. In general, values are lower in elderly than in younger subjects with diesease of comparable clinical severity. "Normal' values are, however, slightly higher in the elderly. Further studies are planned to analyse apparently anomalous results in an attempt to determine more exactly the clinical value of plasma viscosity estimation in the elderly.