Clinical chemistry reference values for 75-year-old apparently healthy persons.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Metabolic Research

Background:

• Limited reference values exist for elderly populations, hindering differentiation between normal aging and disease-related metabolic changes.
• The Vienna Transdanube Aging (VITA) study aims to establish distinct physiological profiles for healthy elderly individuals.
• Over 600 volunteers aged exactly 75 years were recruited to isolate the effects of aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reliable clinical chemistry, hormonal, and hematological reference intervals for apparently healthy 75-year-old individuals.
• To differentiate normal physiological aging processes from metabolic alterations associated with disease in the elderly.
• To provide a baseline for future research correlating metabolic factors with aging and disease states.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive clinical, neurological, biochemical, psychological, genetic, and radiological assessments were conducted.
• Participants were selected based on strict inclusion/exclusion criteria for a reference sample group.
• Automated and manual methods were used for analyte quantification, with statistical analysis performed using SPSS.

Main Results:

• Reference intervals for 45 analytes, including organ function parameters, hormone concentrations, and hematological appraisals, were established.
• A follow-up evaluation at age 77.5 years validated the initial findings and confirmed the cohort's health status.
• The second round of data corroborated the baseline reference limits and inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Conclusions:

• A reliable set of reference data for clinical chemistry, hormonal, and hematological analytes in elderly subjects has been successfully established.
• These reference values are crucial for future research endeavors.
• The data will facilitate correlation of disease states and aging processes with metabolic factors in the elderly.