Effects of age on laboratory testing
Normal physiological changes with age | Laboratory values that correlate | |
---|---|---|
Muscle | ↓Muscle mass | ↓Creatinine |
Bone | ↓Mineral content of bone, cartilage | ↑PTH (females) |
↓Calcium and calcitonin | ||
GI | ↓Gastric motility, vitamin absorption, and drug absorption | ↓Vitamin B12, calcium, and Fe absorption |
Kidney | ↓Renal function | ↑Serum ANP, BNP, and GFR, creatinine ↓Renin |
Immune | ↓Hematopoietic stem cells, bone marrow activity, thymosin, and T-cell function | ↑ANAs |
↑Autoimmune antibodies | ||
Endocrine | ↑Cancer incidence | ↓Aldosterone Norepinephrine |
Reproductive | ↓Sex hormone | ↓Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA-S, and pregnenolone |
↑GnRH |
PTH, parathyroid hormone; GI, gastrointestinal; ANP, atrial natriuretic peptide; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; EPO, erythropoietin; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; ANA, antinuclear antibody; DHEA-S, sulfated dehydroepiandrosterone; GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone.
Adapted from the textbook of Bishop ML et al. Clinical Chemistry 2018. p. 1702-6 [1].