Erythropoiesis changes with increasing age in the elderly Chinese

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Hematology
• Public Health

Background:

• Erythropoiesis, the process of red blood cell production, naturally declines with aging.
• This age-related decline may manifest as alterations in red blood cell (RBC) parameters.
• Investigating these changes in a specific population is crucial for understanding age-related health variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related changes in erythropoiesis and RBC parameters within a healthy Chinese population.
• To identify differences in RBC parameters between younger and older adults, as well as between sexes.
• To establish a baseline for potential age- and sex-specific reference intervals.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre collaborative study involving 14,591 healthy Chinese individuals.
• Participants were categorized into two groups: <60 years and ≥60 years.
• Analysis of K2-EDTA anticoagulant blood samples for various RBC parameters.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in RBC, hemoglobin (HGB), and hematocrit (HCT) were observed between age groups, with lower values in those ≥60 years.
• Mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), and red cell distribution width (RDW) were higher in the elderly group.
• Men exhibited higher RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, and RDW than women, with anemia prevalence increasing with age.

Conclusions:

• RBC parameters change significantly with increasing age and differ between sexes in the Chinese population.
• These findings indicate a decrease in erythropoiesis in the elderly Chinese population.
• Further research is recommended to establish age- and sex-specific reference intervals for healthy elderly Chinese individuals.